


Star Trek: Rise of the Sith

by in_the_bottle



Category: Star Trek: Voyager, Star Wars
Genre: AU, Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-17
Updated: 2005-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-02 08:53:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/367192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_the_bottle/pseuds/in_the_bottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a tale about the rise of the Empire and the fall of the Jedi. It is also a tale of friends and lovers turned enemies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star Trek: Rise of the Sith

**Author's Note:**

> This started innocently enough in a 'Hey! Lightsabers are cool, wouldn't it be cool if Tom and Chak get to play with lightsabers?' kinda way. That was about 2.5 years ago. I came up with the title way before I heard about Revenge of the Sith, so any similarities is purely a coincidence. I am re-writing Ep1-3 of SW, so some bits are taken directly from the movies, only altered. 
> 
> Many thanks to Tors and Sun for beta.
> 
> For those interested, I have a PDF version with a number of artwork included which can be [downloaded here](http://itb4.slashcity.org/trek/trekfic/swstbk.pdf).

  


**Prologue**

\----------------

Present: Year 0

\----------------

The wind was strong on the roof, but he didn't take any notice of it. He had a clear view of the Jedi Temple from where he stood. The sight of the spires brought to him a sense of anger and longing. Reaching out with the Force, he searched for the familiar presence, not bothering to mask his probe; it would be too late for them anyway. Finding it, he raised the comlink and spoke one word: "Go."

It was the beginning of the end of the Jedi Knights.

* * *

Tom Paris could hear the chaos around him as the building was being evacuated. The rumours about Palpatine's plan for the Jedi, too horrifying to believe, was finally coming true right before his eyes. Right after Palpatine came into power, with his right hand man, Darth Kayov Cofoan, Tom had tried to convince the Jedi council that this was a distinct possibility. But even with Master Yoda's support in him, the rest of the council remained firm in their beliefs that Palpatine would not be bold enough to strike this soon, that they would have time to prepare.

Quickly, Tom gathered up the documents pertaining to his investigation and shoved them into a small carry bag, only to stop at a holocube on his desk. Slowly, he picked it up, turning the familiar object in his hand before switching it on. An image of Chakotay and him in their Jedi robes, literally falling over each other laughing at some joke he barely remembered. His best friend, Harry Kim, had took the picture.

He focused on the image of Chakotay, head thrown back in laughter. The image looked so real that Tom was convinced if he concentrated enough, he could bring the picture to life.

The ground shook beneath him, bringing him out of his thoughts. Explosives. The blast doors on the lower levels had been penetrated. Whoever it was that planned the attack knew their strengths and weaknesses like the back of their hands. Tom had sensed Cofoan's presence in his mind right before all hell broke loose; he had no doubt about who was responsible.

**Chapter 1**

\----------------

Past: 18 Years

\----------------

Tom could feel their gaze on him as he walked passed the classes on his way to the Council Chamber. He could almost hear their thoughts through the Force, whispering among themselves, talking about him: murderer, traitor, coward.

He ignored them.

The doors to the Council Chamber swung open, admitting Tom to the room that overlooked all of Coruscant. Standing in front of all twelve members of the council, the seventeen year-old felt his control starting to slip, anxiety and guilt threatening to overwhelm him.

They were watching him, but unlike the younger apprentices earlier, Tom couldn't tell what the Jedi Masters were thinking.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, it was Master Yoda who finally spoke. "Tell us what happened."

"I... I..." Tom stammered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming himself. "We were on our way to the Deneba System when we received a distress call from the space station Terek Nor in the Yendis System." He finally managed. "They were under attack by Cardassian raiders, and were requesting help to defend themselves. Master Ecihc instructed me to change course and we headed to the station."

Tom took a look at the Jedi Masters in the room; their impassive facades did little to reassure him. "When we dropped out of hyperspace, the station was surrounded and being fired upon by three Cardassian ships. We managed to evade their detection and docked. Master Ecihc discovered that two other ships had docked as well and the pirates were trying to take over the station." The teen narrated, seemingly detached.

"Master Ecihc tried to negotiate with the Cardassians, but they wouldn't back down, claiming that the station had originally belonged to them. We helped the station security hold off the Cardassians while they successfully evacuated the station, and the station commander set up the self-destruct sequence. We managed to escape the station, but the Cardassians held us responsible for the lost of the station and gave chase."

_"Master, all three ships are coming after us." Tom reported from his position at the pilot seat. Although Jedi Master Nekcir Ecihc was a good pilot in his own right, he didn't like flying, usually leaving the actual task of piloting to Tom. "Damn it! That last shot they fired fried the hyperdrive!"_

_"Calm down, Padawan. Concentrate on evading them and I'll see if the hyperdrive can be repaired."_

"The hyperdrive was beyond repair. We were outnumbered and outgunned." The council members listened without interrupting. "We crashed landed on the second moon, Master Ecihc was injured in the process."

_"Set up the distress beacon." Ecihc instructed, a deep gash on his forehead bleeding heavily and his right leg resting in an unnatural angle._

_"But you're hurt." Tom's help was waved away by his teacher._

_"Get the distress beacon working first. You can worry about me later."_

_The younger man did as instructed, within minutes the beacon was transmitting a strong signal. The small craft was still mostly intact, but Tom knew they couldn't stay. The last sensor reading showed at least one of the Cardassian ship had followed their descent onto the rocky moon. It wouldn't be long before they were found._

_"They'd find us soon if we don't get out of here." Tom was tying a makeshift splinter to his teacher's leg, setting the broken bones in place. The main exit of the ship was open, allowing the smoke from the fire to escape the small space they were in._

_"Go then. They don't know there's two of us, they won't be looking for you."_

_"What?" Tom couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm not leaving you, Master!"_

_"You don't trust that I can take care of myself?" Ecihc asked, a small smile on his face._

_"I do, under normal circumstances, but – "_

_"No buts, Padawan."_

_"There's a cave not far from here. I saw it when we landed. If we can – "_

_"This is not open for debate." Nekcir's tone was firm. "I will only slow you down. There's no point getting both of us killed."_

_"Master – "_

_"Thomas," Nekcir interrupted the teen. "Are you disobeying me?" He asked in a gentle tone._

_"No, but – "_

_"What did I say before? No buts, Padawan. There's about a dozen of them heading this way, they're getting close, now go!"_

_When Tom still refused to leave, Nekcir gathered strength from the Force and shoved the teen out the exit. Another mental flick of switch closed the hatch, effectively locking Tom out of the ship._

_Tom was more than prepared to cut through the door with his lightsaber, but his teacher knew him better than anyone._ Thomas, _Ecihc voice sounded in his mind._ If you do not leave this instant, I will strip you off your status as my Padawan and make sure you'll never set foot in the Jedi Temple again. Go! _It was the tone that Tom had learned not to disobey._

"They found the ship. Master Ecihc managed to strike down half their numbers before succumbing. I tried going back for him – " Tom continued, lost in his memories, nervousness long forgotten.

_"Master!" Tom didn't care that his scream was probably attracting unwanted attention. The serene presence of Nekcir Ecihc was gone, leaving nothing but a sense of emptiness behind in Tom's mind._

_The two Cardassians, left behind to scavenge through the ship's wreckage, looked up at the scream, blasters drawn. Tom didn't give them the chance to fire. In one swift move, the blue blade of his lightsaber cut through both weapons. Both raiders scrambled back in surprise, but it was pointless. Tom swung his lightsaber back, decapitating the first raider, then turning the swing into a thrust, impaling the second Cardassian. His movements so fast that neither one of the raiders even managed to call out for help._

_The lifeless figure of Nekcir Ecihc greeted him the moment he stepped back into the ship, robed charred by blaster fires. Tom slowly made his way back to his teacher, kneeling to pick up the Jedi Mater's fallen weapon that was lying next to the body._

_It was how the rescue team found him two days later, his master's lightsaber in hand, kneeling before the fallen Knight._

" – but I was too late." His quiet, monotonous voice trailed off, leaving an almost echo in the silent room.

Twelve members of the Jedi High Council looked at each other in silent communication. Despite the rumours that had been spread about the circumstances surrounding Master Ecihc's death, there was no doubt in their mind that young Thomas Paris was telling the truth. They had sensed no deception, only an intense grief, and a sense of guilt over the incident. Dangerous emotions that could easily lead the young man astray.

Decision made, it was Master Mace Windu who spoke this time. "Master Ecihc was a good man, his death is a great lost to us. However, there is still the matter of your training to be considered."

"My training? What's going to happen to me?"

"I am uncertain as to whether another Master would be prepared to take on a Padawan in your advanced stage of training." Master Gallia spoke, her tone gentle.

"Indeed." Both Masters Piell and Koon agreed.

"If no one's going to – " Tom started.

"Worry not, young Padawan," Master Yoda interrupted. "Complete your training you will, with me."

"Master Yoda, are you certain – " Mace Windu didn't get a chance to finish his question.

"Question my judgment, do you? Hmm?" Yoda smiled at the other Jedi. "Blame you, I do not. True it is, much time has passed since last a Padawan had I, but keep up with the young ones I still can."

"If you are certain, Master Yoda." Master Eeth Koth conceded.

"I am," the eldest member of the council nodded. He then got up and headed out of the Council Chambers, gesturing to Tom. "Come, Thomas, come."

* * *

"I heard he'd ran."

"I thought he told them where to find Master Ecihc?"

"He did, then he ran. How else could the Cardassians have spared him?"

"Will the two of you **shut up** ?" Harry Kim hissed at two other apprentices who were sitting opposite him in the library, finally having had enough of it. Janai and Akham had started to whisper to each other the moment Tom Paris stepped into the library almost ten minutes ago and promptly disappeared behind one of the many shelves. At first, Harry had been able to tune them out, concentrating instead on his own studies. However, as their discussion got louder, Harry couldn't help but overhear everything they said. "If he'd done what you two are suggesting, the Council would've kicked him out by now."

"Didn't you know that his father's a senator in the Republic? And his mother's an ambassador." Janai argued. "He's from a very powerful family, the Council were probably afraid of the consequences if they kicked him out." Akham nodded his agreement.

"Afraid?" Harry stared at the duo, stunned. "Do you even know what you're talking about? The Council isn't afraid of anything. Fear leads to the Dark Side, or have the two of you been sleeping through your lessons?"

Two pairs of eyes blinked at him from across the table. One then frowned. "Hey, didn't he get you out of some trouble a few years ago?" Janai asked. "Is that why you're defending him now? Don't you think your loyalty's a bit misguided?"

"Misguided?" It was Harry's turn to blink at the duo. "You know what?" He finally said, disgusted. "One of him is probably worth more than the two of you put together. You can have the table to yourselves." He stood up and gathered his things, leaving two dumbfounded boys behind.

Walking by a shelf barely metres away from where he sat earlier, Harry stopped and did a double take. There was no mistake; Tom Paris was standing there with an ancient looking text in his hands. Slowly, he approached the older teen. "Tom?"

The blonde turned and met Harry's eyes, eyebrows raised. "So, that's what they've been saying about me." Harry couldn't help but admire the control Tom displayed. Tom seemed completely unconcerned over what he had overheard.

"Not everyone – "

"Relax, Harry," Tom frowned. "That's your name right?"

"Yes."

"Right, Harry. I can't control what people say about me, and getting mad is just asking for trouble. You, on the other hand, can avoid a lot of trouble if you'd stop trying to defend my reputation. I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to speak to me."

Tom was actually worried about **him** _._ Harry's admiration grew a notch. "What they say, it's not true is it?" He blurted, wincing at his own tactlessness.

"The version where I betrayed my Master, the one where I ran, or the combination?" Tom didn't wait for a response. "Truth is, I did run."

"And you went back? Why?"

"Because I wouldn't have been able to live with myself otherwise." Tom replied, voice much softer than the whisper they had been speaking in. Harry almost didn't hear him. "If I were you, I'd take their advice." Picking up a seemingly random volume of text from the shelf, Tom brushed past Harry, heading towards the quiet study area.

  
Harry stopped the elder teen with a hand on the shoulder. "I don't need anyone to choose my friends for me." He whispered back with as much conviction as he could muster.  
  
Jaw tightly set, Tom looked him in the eyes and Harry met his gaze. The blonde seemed to be satisfied with what he found, giving Harry a brisk nod as he turned and left.

**Chapter 2**

\----------------

Present: Year 0

\----------------

Tom shoved the holocube into the bag even as Harry rushed into the room, the voice of chaos trailing in behind the younger man.

"We managed to get the younger ones up to the transports, now we just need you to pilot it and get us out of here," Harry's tone was almost accusatory. Tom didn't blame his friend. He should've been out there helping, not in his quarters.

"Let's go."

Apologies could wait.

The corridor that was earlier filled with running bodies was now deserted, the sound of battle on the lower levels echoing in its emptiness.

Two levels below the transport area, their luck ran out. The small squadron of clone troopers were no match for two fully trained Jedi Knights, but the noise from their encounter was attracting unwanted attention.

"Come on," Tom urged his younger friend even as he threw caution to the wind and started running. "Won't be long until they cut off our escape route."

"If they haven't done so already."

"They haven't." Tom replied, certain.

Other than the occasional trooper or officers who were unfortunate enough to wander into their path, the two Jedi managed to stay ahead of the main battalion, making their way to the last transport in the main hanger bay.

"Gerron, are you all right?" Harry asked the teenager who got out of the pilot's chair the moment the two Jedi Knights arrived.

"I'm fine. I managed to get everyone from Master Koben's class out."

"Where's Koben?" Tom asked, sliding into the chair Gerron abandoned.

"He didn't make it."

"Who else is here?" Harry asked.

"Other than me? The children from Master Koben's class, about ten of them."

"Get back to them and make sure everyone's strapped in." Tom ordered. "This ride's going to get bumpy."

Even as the transport came alive under Tom's fingers, the main hanger doors were slowly shutting them in.

"Come on, come on...." he muttered, willing the ship to move faster. "Harry, do something about the doors!" Seconds later, the controls by the exit erupted in sparks, and the doors halted with a loud metallic screech. The small transport was the last vehicle to shoot through the metal jaws, leaving the smoking towers of the Jedi Temple behind them.

Harry cursed. They had cleared the atmosphere of Coruscant only to run into a blockade of destroyers and stream of fighters heading towards them. "We only have minimal weapons on this transport, and I don't know how long the shields can hold. We need to go to light speed as soon as possible."

"Not before clearing the planet's gravitational field!" Tom said, taking a hard turn towards starboard to avoid a head on collision with a fighter. "Do what you can with the weapons, I'll try to find an opening."

"I'm diverting all non-essential powers to shields."

The transport shook from a blast that hit them from the back. "We've got three fighters on our tail." Tom exclaimed, barely sparing a glance at the sensor readings. It wasn't telling him anything he hadn't already sensed from the Force. The hull of the ship groaned in protest, strained to their limits as Tom put it through a series of manoeuvres it was never designed for.

"I don't know about you, Tom, but I have a bad feeling about this." The ship shook again, narrowly missing a blast to their port bow. Two fighters were heading straight for them with the other three still on their tail: they were trapped.

"Relax, Harry. I'm getting us out of here." Their aft shield was weakening; Tom concentrated in avoiding further hits while keeping an eye out for the two fighters ahead of them, seemingly trying to ram them.

"Yeah, the way you're flying, as space debris!"

"Hang on!" It was the only warning Tom gave before he took the transport into a nose dive and accelerated to full speed, flying beneath the two fighters in front of them. The three fighters that were behind them tried to copy his move. Two succeeded while the other spun out of control and slammed into a nearby cruiser that formed part of the blockade. The exploding fighter must have hit some vital system, causing a cascade reaction in the unshielded cruiser, and within seconds, there was nothing left of the bigger ship save for floating metal scraps.

Tom took the opening and the small ship shot through the opening in blockade before one of the other bigger ships could move in to close the gap. The four fighters were still hot on their tail, but within moments, they were cleared of Coruscant's gravitational field.

_Till we meet again, Thomas Paris._ The blonde pilot shuddered at the voice that sounded in his mind just as the hyperdrive kicked in and the stars turned into white streaks before them. 

* * *

From the bridge of fleet's flagship _Vigilance_ , Cofoan watched the small transport jump to hyperspace. He knew Thomas had heard him.

"Shall we pursue, my lord?" Captain Rendouf stood by the Dark Jedi, closely watching his reaction.

"No." Cofoan replied. "There're more important things to worry about than a small transport. I want a report on Kamparas and Eriadu within the hour."

"Yes, my lord." Rendouf saluted and left to carry out his task.

There was never any doubt in Cofoan's mind that the Jedi would escape. Even the best fighter pilots in the Imperial fleet were no match for the sheer genius that was Tom Paris when it came to piloting. It was never part of his plan to kill the blonde Jedi. When the time arrived, Thomas would come to him and everything would work out as he had foreseen. Of that, he was certain.

* * *

When Tom and Harry made their way into the main compartment of the ship, Gerron was patching up a small cut on a little girl's forehead. With the transport on autopilot, there was nothing much either man could accomplish in the cockpit.

"There you go." Brushing back her long bluish-purple hair; the teen taped a bandage over the wound. "That didn't hurt a bit, now did it?"

"No." The girl gave Gerron a smile before giving the teen a hug and going back to her seat.

Tom took in the sight before him. Nine children were scattered around the main compartment. All, except Gerron, were below the age of ten.

"How are they?" Harry asked the moment Gerron got up and joined the two elder Jedi near the entrance.

"Some minor cuts and bruises that I've taken care of." Gerron answered in a lowered voice. "They're trying not to show it, but I can sense that they're scared."

Tom nodded. Jedi training or not, they were still children, and their trainings were far from advanced enough for them to deal with the situation they now faced. Tom wasn't even sure if he himself could handle it. "We need to get them home to their family. With the way things are going, they won't be safe with us."

"And how do you propose we do that? Each of them is probably from different systems scattered all across the Republic." Harry pointed out.

"My parents are still on Bajor, they can make sure the children are all right." Gerron replied.

"Bajor's in the opposite direction of where we're heading at the moment," Tom shook his head. "Most of my family's still on Coruscant and I have a feeling they've got enough on their plates at the moment, but my sister Lizia married a spice trader in the Corellian system. It's only a few days away and she'll make sure the children gets back to their families."

"Wouldn't we be putting her at risk if Palpatine decides to track us down?" Harry frowned.

"Harry, you're talking about the woman who kicked your ass in hand to hand combat while she was five months pregnant." Tom smirked. "I think she knows how to take care of herself. She's got the brains, the contacts, **and** the resources to handle it. Resources that we are severely lacking at the moment." Tom grew somber at the thought.

"What happens now?" The young Bajorian asked, looking at the two elder Jedi for directions.

"We make sure the children are safe, then regroup. Maybe at Eriadu or Kamparas." Harry replied.

"Gerron, you'll be going with the children." Tom said. "Don't argue with me," he added, forestalling any objections from the youngster. "You're still years away from being qualified to take the trials. If the events of today are any indication, a Jedi is the last thing you'd want to be."

"But..."

"No buts, Padawan."

"Tom," Harry interrupted on behalf of Gerron. "With some accelerated training – "

Tom shook his head, silencing Harry. "The entire Jedi order is under siege. At this stage, I'm not even sure if the bases at Eriadu and Kamparas haven't already been compromised. Palpatine and Cofoan will not rest until every single Jedi Knight is eliminated. The safest option for you, Gerron, is to go back to your family and forget about everything related to the Jedi." The blonde took another look at the children. They were huddled together, talking quietly among themselves, not unlike Harry, Gerron and him. "It's the safest option for all of them."

* * *

"Are you all right?" Tom was startled out of his stupor when a hand gently touched his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed his sister creeping up on him. Lizia Jeanette Paris-Solo, like her younger brother, had inherited their mother's look and lithe figure. Her shoulder length blonde hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.

She joined Tom and sat down on the steps beside him, looking out at the ocean that was her backyard.

"I'm fine. How are the children?" The sunset cast a fiery red hue onto the water.

"Harry and Gerron are getting them settled down for the evening. They're basically too tired to fuss."

"Unlike that little terror of yours, Liz, they're Jedi apprentices. They don't fuss." Tom replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Jedi children: the most well behaved kids in the galaxy. Pft!" She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Tell that to someone who didn't have a little brother as one of'em. Force sensitive or not, children are children. They'll start fussing when it suits them."

The siblings sat in silence, watching the sunset. Ships of various designs and sizes could be seen in the distance, coming and going from the Coral Spaceport, the only sea based spaceport on Corellia.

"Jon's due back tomorrow." Lizia finally said, still looking out to the sea. "We can start locating their families then."

"People will be looking for them."

"Jon's got about half a dozen bounties on his head for some stupid stunt or another. We know how to keep a low profile."

"I shouldn't have come here. I have no right to put you and your family at risk." Tom turned to look at his sister.

"You **are** family. Who else can you turn to? Besides," Lizia grinned. "I owe Mace one."

"You owe Mace?" Tom couldn't help but look at his sister in disbelief. "I thought you hated him? Didn't you once call him a stuck up piece of rancor dung who wouldn't know what the Force looked like if it hit him in the face?"

"I did. But if he hadn't kicked me out of the Temple, I wouldn't have met Jon. And if I hadn't met Jon, the little terror wouldn't have been born." Lizia shrugged. "I figured he actually did me a favour."

Tom chuckled at his sister's reasoning. "Your little terror really isn't that little anymore. Another couple of years, he'd be taller than you."

"Tom, the thing with children is that Han will always be my little terror, even when he's thirty, married and has kids of his own." Lizia paused in thought. "Actually, I think it'll be even more fun to call him that in front of the grandkids."

"He's ten, Lizia! You're planning on grandchildren already?!"

"It's a mother's prerogative to fantasize about her child's future." Lizia smiled before her expression turned solemn. "Are you really all right, Tommy? I know – "

"Don't call me that, and like I said, I'm fine."

" – everything's been pretty hard for you the last few years, since Chakotay ..."

"Liz, they'll be looking for us." Tom changed the topic. "Palpatine won't rest until he decimates the Jedi."

"You don't know that," she shook her head in denial, willing, for the moment to change the subject. "Maybe it was just a show of power, to tell the universe not to mess with him, it might not have to do with – "

"That's the thing, I **do** know. I've seen it. The attack on the Temple is just the first step in bringing down the Order." Tom let out a sigh. "I tried warning the council, but they didn't believe me."

"Idiots, the whole bunch of them."

Tom stopped himself from pointing out that she didn't really believe him either. Lizia tended to be biased when it came to the council.

"Who?" Harry asked, joining the pair on the steps. The sun had completely set, lights from the spaceport and the traffic around it stood out in the distance against the darkened sky.

"The Jedi council." Lizia replied. "Bunch of fools without an ounce of common sense between them."

"I see." Harry replied, non-committal.

"How are the children doing?" Tom turned to look at his friend.

"Asleep. Most of them were exhausted after the trip. Even Gerron's out cold."

"What's your plan?" Lizia asked the two men.

"Stay low, gather as much information as we can, regroup, and come up with a plan against Palpatine and Cofoan. In the meantime," Tom stood up, brushing the dust off his robe. "We should all get some rest. Tomorrow will come soon enough."

**Chapter 3**

\----------------

Past: 14 Years

\----------------

"Tom."

"Yes, Master?" Tom opened his eyes, the various floating objects around him slowly lowering to the ground.

"Restlessness I sense in you, for some time." Yoda made his way to where his student was seated and joined him on the floor. "Only so much you can learn within temple walls. Regretful I am that young I am not."

"Don't say that, Master. I've learned so much from you already."

Yoda shook his head. "Learn you have, practice you must. Limited it is in the temple."

Tom looked at his Master, concentrating on the Force. "Bad news from Master Qui-Gon I gather." Tom frowned as he probed further. "It has something to do with the disturbance in the Force that I've sensed."

Yoda nodded.

"What is it, Master?"

"The Sith, among us, they are."

"The Sith? I thought they died out a long time ago?"

"Mistaken we were. Assassination of Naboo queen they attempted."

Like all Jedi, Tom had learned about the Dark Side and the Sith, the chaos and destruction that they brought with them. "If the Sith are back, the entire Republic will be under threat."

"Indeed it will." Yoda agreed. "Find them we must. Here I must be for the council, but you will aid in this matter."

The young Jedi was surprised by Yoda's suggestion. "Me?" Feeling a sudden burst of self-doubt washing over him, Tom couldn't help questioning his own readiness.

"Yes, you." Yoda raised his walking stick and poked Tom in his chest. "Accompany Master Nalv you will on this mission."

"But Master Yoda, I don't think I'm ready for this. I've still got so much to learn."

"Learn no more you will from here. Ready you are to face this, doubt not your own abilities, Thomas. Serve you not it will." With the aid of his walking stick, Yoda stood up. "Come, plan we must for this."

* * *

Tom set the shuttle on autopilot the moment they jumped to hyperspace. He turned around from his pilot seat and faced the two other occupants in the craft.

The middle-aged Jedi Master seemed to be meditating while the other younger Jedi Knight, Chakotay, was busy going through all the data they had managed to gather about the current threat of the Sith.

During their meeting, Master Nalv had insisted that a third member should be added to their mission, not a surprising request. Tom's piloting skills might be crucial to their escape, but he was still relatively inexperienced when it came to the groundwork that was required. What was unexpected was **who** Master Nalv had requested. Chakotay was the youngest member in the last 300 years who had passed the trials and been granted knighthood.

Ever since Chakotay's controversial entry to the Academy, there had been no doubtthat he was destined to be one of the greatest Jedi Masters in known history. Everyone knew the story of how Chakotay's family had objections against the ways of the Jedi, but the Council knew it was also too dangerous for someone as Force sensitive as Chakotay was to **not** be trained. With the help of a Republic senator, the Council finally managed to convinced Chakotay's father to send his son to the Temple. By that time, Chakotay was already seven years old, much older than the rest of the students. Some members of the Council had argued that Chakotay was too old to be trained, but the rest had decided that they had fought too long only to give up when they had finally won.

Tom still remembered the day the trial results were announced, how everyone in his class wanted to be like Chakotay. He was a hero in their young minds, even more so than Master Yoda or the other Jedi Masters, because he was only a few years older than they were. If Chakotay, who had started his trainings years later than any of them, could accomplish that, they could too.

"We'll be arriving in the outer system of Naboo in a couple of hours." Tom announced to the other passengers. As expected, there was no reply from Master Nalv, but Tom knew he had heard him.

"Engage the cloaking device the moment we drop out of hyperspace. We don't want them to see us coming." Chakotay still hadn't taken his eyes off the data pad he was studying, and Tom couldn't help wonder what he was looking for. Was he seeing something everyone else had missed?

"You've been going through that since the meeting. I don't think you'll find anything new in there."

The other man let out a sigh and turned off the pad. "I keep having this feeling that we're missing something right under our noses."

"You're probably right." Tom agreed. "We didn't even know about the Sith until now. Who knows how long they've been active before this."

"According to Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the only way anyone could know they were on Tatooine was if they'd followed them from Naboo. So there's no doubt that the Trade Federation's in league with the Sith. If anyone's going to know anything about the Sith, it'll be them."

"I'm still not too sure what we expect to find on this mission. I don't think they'd be stupid enough to leave any evidence of their involvement."

"The Sith, probably not," Master Nalv replied, coming out of the meditative state he was in. "But the Trade Federation might have. At this point in time, any information we can gather would be valuable."

"Well, there's nothing much we can do until we get there." Tom shrugged, getting up from the pilot seat and moving towards the back of the craft. "I'm going to double check the cloaking device and make sure it's working. I don't trust the droid that installed it."

"I'll go with you." Chakotay abandoned the data pad in his hands and followed the younger man out of the cockpit.

* * *

"You don't trust me, do you?" The question took Chakotay by surprise. He finished his check on the panel in front of him and closed the small hatch, turning around to see the Padawan sitting on the opposite side of the small cabin, looking at him in amusement.

"What makes you say that?" He asked in return.

"Oh, I don't know. Might have something to do with the fact that you've double-checked every single thing I've done. Or that feeling of wariness I sensed from you." Tom replied offhandedly. "I've never met you before today," the young man continued. "But I guess my reputation precedes me."

"Look, I'm – " Chakotay started, but Tom did not allow him to finish.

"You're entitled to your opinions." Tom's voice had turned serious. "And frankly, I couldn't care less about them. I just want to make sure we're clear on one thing." The younger man's gaze was piercing. "Don't let your personal feelings towards me jeopardise the mission."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Chakotay replied, meeting the Padawan's eyes.

Almost everyone within the Order was aware of the rumours that had surrounded Master Ecihc's death, and Chakotay was no exception. Even knowing that the rumours were probably false, Chakotay couldn't help but feel uneasy when he was in the company of Tom Paris. Jedi or not, he was only human.

"Good." The easy smile was back. "Now feel free to do a triple check. I'm going back inside."

Chakotay watched the young man make his way back to the cockpit, slightly unnerved at how easily Tom had read him. _Get a hold of yourself! He's still a Padawan for crying out loud!_ Like it or not, his curiosity towards the young apprentice was perked.

* * *

The small, cloaked shuttle made its way past numerous Trade Federation battleships, heading towards the space station orbiting the planet Naboo, undetected.

"Their shields are down." Chakotay reported.

"Their arrogance will be their downfall." Nalv replied.

"Lucky for us then." Tom said, most of his attention focused on trying to avoid getting hit by the many ships that surrounded them.

"I can't believe this, but most of their hanger bay doors are open as well." Chakotay double-checked his sensor readings; they remained the same.

"Is it just me, or is anyone else getting the feeling that this is a bit too easy?" The station loomed ahead of them as Tom piloted the shuttle towards an unoccupied hanger bay and docked the still cloaked shuttle.

"Thomas, you stay with the shuttle." Master Nalv instructed.

"But – "

"There's no time for argument, we need to make sure that the shuttle stays undetected. Chakotay and I can handle the rest."

* * *

The two Jedi carefully made their way towards the nearest computer terminal, a Force cloak around them allowing them to remain relatively hidden even in plain sight. Nalv stood watch while Chakotay accessed the computer files.

"The communications log we're looking for is restricted, I can't get it from here. We need to find a control room and gain access from there." Chakotay tapped a few more keys and the schematics of the station appeared on the screen. "Two corridors down to the left."

The lone officer in the control room didn't even have a chance to put up a fight before Nalv rendered him unconscious. In a matter of minutes, Chakotay had managed to find the logs they were looking for.

"Download everything," Nalv ordered. "We'll sort it out when we get back."

Chakotay nodded in understanding and slip a memory chip into the computer to begin the download.

Suddenly, alarms went off and the station shook beneath their feet.

"Master Nalv, do you copy?" Tom's voice came through the comlink.

"What's going on, Tom?"

"Naboo has launched their attack sooner than we thought. The whole station is on battle alert, we need to get out of here soon."

"Acknowledged, we'll be there as soon as we can. Nalv out. How much longer?" The question was directed towards Chakotay.

"A couple more minutes."

"Let's hope we last till then."

* * *

The station shook, once again coming under another volley of attack from the Naboo fighters. Tom held on to the seat, keeping his balance. Despite the fact that the station was under alert, there had been no sign of movement in the hanger bay, but Tom knew it wouldn't last.

"Damn it, what's taking them so long?"

The pilot was about to contact Nalv again when he felt a sudden wave of distress through the Force. Nalv and Chakotay were in trouble. Without a second thought, he left the shuttle and raced through the corridors of the station, following his instincts.

Tom could hear the familiar hum of the lightsabers even before he could see what was happening. Rounding the corner, he activated his own weapon, dispatching half a dozen battle droids before they could register his presence.

"I thought I told you to stay with the shuttle?"

Tom couldn't help rolling his eyes at Master Nalv's admonishment. "This really isn't the time a lecture, Master. Besides, I can see that you guys are handling things really well." He deflected three consecutive blaster shots from the droids and decapitated another one, but more of them were coming. "We need to get out of here."

"Tell me something I don't know." Chakotay replied, a wave of his hand sending two droids crashing into the wall, shattering them into pieces.

Tom's arrival had managed to create a small opening and the Jedi took advantage of it as they ran towards the hanger bay. Nalv was in the lead, with Chakotay rounding up the rear, trying to hold off the droids. Tom had just reached the hanger when a wave of pain washed through him through the Force. "Chakotay," he managed to choke out, staggering on his feet.

He took a deep breath and regained control. Turning, he raced back to where they came from only to find Chakotay swinging his lightsaber with his left arm, holding off more than twenty droids. His right arm was bleeding from a wound.

"What are you doing here? Go!" The Jedi Knight yelled at him as soon as he saw him.

_Go!_ It was the voice of Master Ecihc that Tom heard. "No, I'm not leaving. Not this time." He charged the nearest droids, lightsaber cutting through metal and circuits like warm knife through butter. With the aid of the Force, he flung three droids back towards the squad that was gaining on them, creating a temporary chaos. Tom grabbed Chakotay and they both ran while the droids tried to recover their bearings.

Once in the hanger, Tom shut the blast doors just in time to stop the droids from coming through.

On board the shuttle, Nalv had already prepared the craft for take off. The station shook violently, causing the shuttle to slide across the docking bay, knocking down supply crates. By the time Tom had scrambled back into the pilot seat, the droids had managed to get the blast doors open and were swarming in by the dozens. The fact that they couldn't see any targets wasn't stopping them from randomly firing their blasters, in an attempt to draw out the enemy.

The hum of the shuttle's engine got louder as it started to take off, finally drawing the attention of the droids.

"Cover's blown." Tom announced. Punching the weapon's control, he returned fire with the shuttle's laser guns. One of the droids managed to get a shot at them. "Shit, that bastard managed to fry the cloaking device **and** the hyperdrive with that shot!"

"Aft shields are weakening." Nalv calm voice reported from his control station.

"Right. Let's see how well you can deal with this." Tom mumbled under his breath. He fired the only torpedo on board, and accelerated the shuttle out of the hanger, not bothering to check whether the torpedo had hit the droids or not.

The moment they cleared the hanger bay they were immediately greeted by enemy fighters. "Sit tight!" Tom called out to the two other passengers before beginning a series of evasive manoeuvres that managed to loop them back just in time to watch the station blowing up in a series of cascade explosions.

"Tell me you didn't do that." Chakotay said from his position in the co-pilot's seat even as Tom dodged a series of weapons fire.

"I didn't do that," the blonde pilot parroted, brining the shuttle into a spinning dive. "I think." He added doubtfully.

With the station gone, the Trade Federation vessels began to lose their fight, and before long, all of them had retreated.

"This is Ric Olie of the Naboo Starfighter squad to the unidentified shuttle, please respond."

"Naboo Starfighter, this is the Republic shuttle _Titus_ ," Nalv responded. "We require medical assistance as well as repairs."

"Shuttle _Titus_ , whatever you want is yours. If it weren't for that shot you fired, we probably wouldn't be here right now. Just follow my lead."

"Acknowledge. _Titus_ out."

"Well," Tom took extra care in concentrating on the controls before him, not meeting the eyes of either Jedi. "I guess I did do that."

Surprisingly, Chakotay started to laugh.

**Chapter 4**

\----------------

Present: Year 0

\----------------

Tom Paris chuckled at the look of disgust on Harry Kim's face after the younger man took a sip of the mysterious green coloured drink.

" **This** ," Harry gestured at the mug. "Is the most popular drink in town?"

The bartender, a tall human female with short black hair, shrugged, nonchalant. "I said it was the most popular, not the best." She continued wiping down the bar, her skin-tight clothing leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Other than a Wookiee and two humanoid aliens, Tom and Harry were the only occupants in the tavern.

The two Jedi had abandoned their usual robes and opted for a more discreet look. Both were dressed in black pants and while Tom wore a white top, Harry decided that blue was more his colour. Both of their lightsabers were carefully hidden beneath the black leather vest that completed their outfits.

"Why the hell is it so popular if it's this bad?" Harry pushed his mug aside.

"It gets you drunk and it's cheap."

"Currency, makes it much easier to understand the universe." Tom quipped.

"You got that right, handsome." The bartender gave Tom a playful wink. The blonde smiled in return.

"But it's not the only way to understand the universe," Tom continued.

"Really? What other way is there?" She stopped wiping the bar, dumping the tablecloth into the sink directly behind her.

"Oh, the usual," Tom shrugged. "Reading, listening to other people's tales, traveling," he paused, looking carefully at the bartender. "Which is the reason we were wondering if you might know anyone who could provide us with transport to the Kamparas system."

The bartender frowned at the mention of the star system. "What's your business there?"

"We were supposed to meet a... friend there in a few days." Tom replied.

"But the stupid slab of junk that is his ship broke down, and now we're stuck here." Harry added, continuing with their act.

"Hey! She was a fine ship before you started tinkering with her engines!" Tom protested, looking offended at what Harry said.

"I wouldn't need to tinker with it if it was working in the first place."

"Boys, if you're going to start a fight, do it outside." The bartender snapped, successfully regaining the attention of the two men. "Look, I don't know the two of you, but I like you, you're not like most of the scum who come in here. So, a friendly word of advice, Kamparas is not where you'd want to be right now."

Harry frowned. "Why not? I thought it's generally pretty safe there, with the Jedi base and all. No one's stupid enough to cause trouble with them there."

"Yeah well, that was then, this is now." She grabbed two random bottles from the shelf behind her and started pouring their contents into a tall glass, only stopping when the glass was half full. "The base is gone. And if what I've heard is correct, and Sloge's usually right about these things, the other base that they had in – " she paused for a moment, thinking. " – Eriadas? Eriadu, yeah, that's it, the other base there isn't fairing that much better either."

"Are you sure?" Tom had to rely on his entire life worth of training not to show the anxiety he was feeling. "I mean it's the Jedi we're talking about here. Who the hell could take them?"

The bartender shrugged again, replacing the two bottles before grabbing another, filling up the rest of the glass with it. "I wouldn't know. But rumour has it that it was the Republic Senate who ordered it. I've also heard they've taken out the Jedi HQ on Coruscant." She took Harry's mug of mysterious green liquid and replaced it with the glass now containing three distinct, yet intermixing colours of red, purple, and milky white. "Now this," she gestured at the glass. "Is the best in town. Enjoy." She gave them both a bright smile before going back to her business of running a bar.

Tom turned around to find Harry staring at the glass of swirling colours, face pale and grim.

_Keep it together,_ he sent a mental warning to the younger Jedi.

Harry responded by picking up the glass and draining its content in one long swallow. "She's right. This is good." Then he stood up and left.

* * *

" – Gerron, it's non-negotiable. I thought we'd already – "

"I've just received a message from Vokram," Jonash (Jon) Solo announced. However, the two Jedi and the young Padawan were too busy arguing to pay any attention to him. "The four kids he took have all been safely reunited with their families and gone into hiding."

"What about Nalij or Retu?" Lizia was watching her brother arguing with both Harry and Gerron.

" – I think he's old enough to make his – "

"I'm not expecting to hear from them for at least another couple of days. I don't think there'd be any trouble though," the tall dark haired man replied, greeting his wife with a kiss on her cheek.

" – my training is almost complete, and I – "

"They're still at it?" Jon asked, joining his wife at watching the trio in his living room.

"The keyword here is 'almost'."

"Even the little terror got tired of it and went to bed, without me yelling at him for once," Lizia replied, leaning back into her husband's embrace.

"Yet, you're still here."

Lizia shrugged. "There's just something amusing about watching your baby brother acting like one of those 'boring serious grown ups' he used to complain about."

"I've got news about the Jedi bases. Not good, I'm afraid," Jon said to his wife.

"You're not even my master!" Gerron yelled in exasperation. "Don't you think **he** should be the one making the decision?"

The room was bathed in silence at the unexpected outburst from the teen. Tom finally let out a sigh. "I don't know how Master Niquon put up with you."

"He said I help him to reach a better understanding of the Force." Gerron replied, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"I don't doubt it," Tom snorted. "The last few days with you has elevated me to the status of a Master."

Harry snickered, earning him a glare from Tom.

"So, I can stay?"

"You can stay, but another outburst like that, you'll be spending a week meditating on the importance of the Jedi Code. Understood?"

Gerron nodded, trying hard to look serious and failing miserably at it.

"Finally! I was starting to wonder if you guys would ever stop!" Lizia shook her head in amusement before turning serious. "If any of you are interested, Jon's got some news."

The grave look on the trader's face was enough of an indication on the nature of his news.

"How bad is it?" Harry managed to ask.

"Both bases have been completely destroyed," Jon replied. "My sources weren't too clear on whether there were survivors, but – apparently - the Imperial forces suffered some major casualties. I'm inclined to believe that most made it out alive."

" **Imperial** forces?"

Tom let out a bitter chuckle at Harry's surprise. "Palpatine's declared himself Emperor." Harry flinched at Tom's harsh tone. "And Cofoan's his trusted right hand man. He's moving faster than I'd foreseen."

"If there were survivors, we need to contact them. Get the council together. We need to stop Palpatine."

"With what, Harry? They've got an entire fleet of destroyers and cruisers; they even took out the **Temple** . What makes you think we can win this?" The glass frame started to crack on one of the paintings hanging on the living room wall. "We can't even try to contact the others through the Force because we're afraid the Sith might get a fix on our location. We don't even know if anyone else other than us have survived!" The occupants of the room ducked as the glass finally exploded, sprinkling tiny fragments across the room.

Tom looked at the remains of the frame scattered around him. _Anger, the Dark Side it will lead you to,_ the voice of Master Yoda was clear in his mind.

"I need to get some fresh air." He finally said, heading out of the house at an almost run, leaving behind a room of perplexed family and friends.

* * *

On the over developed and busy commerce planet of Corellia, the one and a half kilometer stretch of beach that was his sister's backyard was the closest thing to natural solitude Tom could find.

_Who am I to lecture Gerron on control when I barely have any myself?_ Though his gaze was fixed on the distant spaceport, his thoughts were focused inwards. All the communication channels the Order used have been blocked, and even with Jon's contacts no information was getting through at all. It really wasn't surprising, considering that Cofoan was once a highly respected member of the Jedi Order. Chakotay was gone because of Cofoan. Memory of the betrayal brought a sense of hatred in him that Tom fought to quell.

_We can't hide here forever._

Sitting down cross-legged on the sand, Tom closed his eyes and let the sound of the waves lull him into a meditative state. He let the Force flow through him, finally feeling a sense of serenity that had evaded him since the attack on the Temple. Letting the Force guide him, he carefully sought out the presence that had guided him through to adulthood, so familiar to him that he had no problem recognising it even under guise.

_"Careful, Thomas. Powerful Cofoan is in the ways of the Force."_

_"I know, Master. I... I have no choice. I'm uncertain as to our next course of action."_

_"Many have been lost. Plan we must, to face this crisis. Concern for you, I have, for closer to this you are than anyone, my Padawan."_

Tom could clearly sense Yoda's worry for him. It had been almost ten years since he'd been a Padawan, but Master Yoda still occasionally addressed him as such when they were in private and he had a point to make. Yoda had never stopped teaching and Tom never stopped learning from the Master.

_"More impact on your training than we thought that Master Ecihc's death might have been."_

_"I don't understand."_

_"Control over your emotions has been frail since then, and matters made worse by the link. Hard will it be for you, in times ahead, to face Cofoan."_

_"Master – "_

_"Time is short, Thomas. All will hopefully be revealed on Dantooine."_

The presence of Yoda faded into the background once again, but Tom was reluctant to emerge from the peace he had found in meditation. Time did not exist, only eternal serenity.  
  
"Tom? Tom." Harry's voice seemed far from him. "Come on, Tom. You've been out here for hours!" Slowly, Tom began to emerge from his meditative state, only to be assaulted by a series of images.

  
_Endless field of bodies, all Jedi._

_Lifeless eyes, staring up at him; accusing._

_Palpatine, standing on a hill, overlooking the field, Cofoan by his side, emotionless as the Emperor laughed._

_Ghostly whispers surrounding him: liar... traitor... murderer._

_"You've seen what I've seen."_

_Cofoan._

"No!"

  
"Tom!" Eyes snapping open, he was met by the sight of Harry kneeling by his side. "What is it? What did you see?"

Tom closed his eyes again, taking in deep breaths to calm his racing heart, the vision he saw once again flashing before his eyes. "Cofoan knows we're here... knows **I'm** here." He finally said, unsure as to his reluctance to share what he'd saw. "We have to leave." Tom stood up and headed back to the house.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean Cofoan knows we're here? How... what did you do?"

"We couldn't just sit and do nothing while he destroys everything we know."

" **You** were the one who said we couldn't risk being found." Harry stopped his friend at the bottom of the steps that lead to the house.

"Maybe I was wrong about it."

"Wrong about what?" Tom looked up to find Lizia at the door.

"Cofoan knows where we are," Harry replied.

"Liz, I think it's time that we leave. You and Jon might want to get away for a while too. Gerron! Start packing!" Tom called out to the teen as he made his way back into the house.

"Leave? Where are you going?"

"I've been asking him the same question." Harry was walking beside Lizia, both following Tom.

"Dantooine. We're going to Dantooine."

* * *

Alone in his chambers on board the _Vigilance_ , Cofoan smiled.

**Chapter 5**

\----------------

Past: 14 Years

\----------------

Chakotay smiled as he approached Tom. "I don't think I've thanked you for coming back for me."

Tom seemed to be taken aback, and it took him a moment to recover his composure before he stammered out, "You're welcome." Both men looked at each other in a somewhat awkward silence before Tom spoke again. "How's the arm?"

"The medic droids did their job. It's as good as new."

"Good."

Another stretch of awkward silence followed, but this time it was Chakotay who spoke first. "Tom, I think we started out on the wrong foot. I apologise for my attitude earlier and would greatly appreciate the opportunity for us to start over again."

The first response Chakotay got was a raised eyebrow, and he was once again subjected to one of Tom's intense looks. "Apology accepted." The seriousness seemed to disappear without a trace, leaving only an easy grin as Tom shook his hand. "Have you seen Obi-Wan?"

"Not since Master Qui-Gon's funeral yesterday. Why?" The change of subject was unexpected.

"I just need to talk to him about something."

Despite Tom's evasiveness on the topic, Chakotay had a feeling why Tom was looking for Obi-Wan. "I heard some guards mention he'd been at the Palace's central observation tower. He might still be there."

"Great! Thanks!"

Chakotay once again found himself watching the departing figure of Tom Paris. What he had heard about Tom and what he experienced were complete opposites. The young pilot, while seemingly quiet and reserved at times, could be brash when he wanted to be; able to turn from serious to playful within a blink of an eye; sometimes aloof yet caring. All the contradictions were enough to make Chakotay's head spin, and yet, he couldn't help but feel drawn towards Tom.

_What am I getting myself into?_

* * *

While the rest of Naboo continued their celebration, the members of the Jedi Order were gathered in one of the most secure rooms in the palace.

"Are you certain this information is reliable?" Like the others, Mace Windu was troubled by what they had learned.

"I'm positive." Chakotay replied with confidence. "I have double checked the codes, they haven't been altered in any way. The communications they've been receiving came directly from Coruscant."

The room remained silent while everyone struggled to accept the news.

_Right under our noses._

"Most troubling this new is." Yoda finally spoke. "Most troubling."

"Will we be able to narrow down the trace and find out where on the planet it originated from?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.

Chakotay shook his head. "I've tried everything, but I still can't tell who or where the communications were made, only that it's from Coruscant. Whoever it was made sure the communications couldn't be traced back to them."

"That's pretty much expected, isn't it?" Tom spoke up.

"Expected, yes. Encouraging, definitely not," Nalv replied. "At least now we know for certain that the Sith are involved."

"Always two there are, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice."

"But which one was destroyed?" Master Windu asked, voicing the thoughts of everyone in the room. "The master or the apprentice?"

Yoda shook his head. "Hard to see the Dark Side is. More has to be done to unmask him. Prepare we must."

* * *

Tom had spent the last few weeks working alongside Chakotay, trying to uncover the location and identity of the possible Sith among them. While they had not been able to locate any trace of the Sith, Tom had discovered Chakotay and him worked really well together, especially since the elder Jedi had started to trust him. Chakotay always gave his fullest attention to Tom, no matter how unlikely his suggestions and ideas might be. 

Master Yoda had made it clear to Tom that his self-doubt was doing more harm than good. Tom had always admired Chakotay, and working alongside him had only served to strengthen his admiration. The fact that Chakotay could be really charming when he wanted to be hadn't hurt either, and Tom felt oddly drawn towards the Jedi Knight. 

Working with Chakotay had been good for Tom, at least until the nightmares started once again. The night view of Coruscant held as much fascination to Tom as a historian had for astrophysics, but Tom wasn't here to admire the view. The recent death of Master Qui-Gon and what Obi-Wan was going through had brought back memories; ghosts that he thought were laid to rest were once again back.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Tom was startled by the voice that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, turning to find Chakotay standing at the edge of the meditation room. He must have been really out of it not to hear Chakotay's entry. Tom shrugged at the question.

"Me too. Mind if I join you?"

"Feel free." Tom shrugged again before turning his attention back to the view outside.

From the corner of his eyes, Tom saw Chakotay move to stand beside him. Since their return from Naboo three months ago, both men seemed to have come to some sort of understanding. Tom would even go as far as to say that they were friends. While Tom had resented the fact that Chakotay had apparently judged him before even knowing him, his admiration for the older Jedi also increased when Chakotay had apologised and asked for a second chance. Tom couldn't remember anyone else who had ever done that.

"I've never had trouble sleeping until recently." Chakotay said.

"Then you're lucky."

"Tom," Chakotay abandoned all pretenses of admiring the night view. "I came here to look for you." The blonde turned to face Chakotay, puzzled. "The last few months, I've been having these...dreams. Bits and pieces of things I can barely remember when I wake up, events that don't make any sense at all."

"Dreams rarely make any sense."'

"True," Chakotay nodded. "But there was something else about these dreams. I finally realised what they were last week. Tom, they were your dreams."

Tom's eyes widened in surprise. "My dreams? What... how is that possible? Are you sure? I mean, how can you be sure that you're seeing my dreams and not some random image your subconscious decided to throw at you?"

"I'm certain of it, Tom. Earlier tonight, you were dreaming about the Cardassians, weren't you? When you woke up, I woke up too."

Dreaming wasn't the word Tom would've used, but the Cardassians were heavily featured in it. "I...." He didn't know what to say. No one except Master Yoda knew about his nightmares. His best friend Harry was aware that he sometimes had trouble sleeping, but Tom never mentioned the nightmares to him. The fact that Chakotay had been privy to them for the last few months left him feeling... exposed. Violated. He fought to control the raging emotions within him.

"Tom, please believe that I never intended to violate your privacy. I have no idea how this could have occurred. For the last week, I have tried to find out how and why this is happening, but there's been no record of any events like this."

"Have you told anyone?" Tom eventually managed to ask.

Chakotay shook his head. "No. Not without your permission."

The younger man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I think we better talk to Master Yoda about this."

* * *

Tom did not like the look on Master Yoda's face as the Jedi Master slowly paced across the small room they were in. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what his Master had to say on the subject either.

"I haven't been able to find any records of something like that ever occurring." Chakotay explained to the Jedi Master.

"It has." Yoda replied, serious. "Once. Never recorded it was, but remember it I do." Yoda stopped his pacing, sitting on one of the cushions in front of the two younger men. "Many years ago it was, still Padawan I was then. Two Jedi, Ailorei Esa and Lienorc Nokaj. They had started to see each other's dream, feel what the other felt. Puzzled we were then, before Master Aukor discovered the cause."

"What was it?" Tom asked.

"Connected they were through the Force," was Yoda's reply.

Tom frowned in confusion. "Isn't everything connected to the Force?"

"True, however, some connections are stronger than others. Like a Jedi's connection to the Force stronger it is than normal people," the Jedi Master explained. "Rare it is, this connection. Dangerous it is."

"Dangerous? Why?" It was Chakotay's turn to look puzzled.

"Yes, dangerous. For together, you would be more powerful than anyone could imagine. Affect each other you would, your thoughts, feelings."

"On the station," Tom's voice was quiet as he turned to face Chakotay. "I felt it, when you were hit by the blaster. I didn't think anything of it then, but now..."

Master Yoda nodded. "You could have been incapacitated by Chakotay's injuries. Dangerous that is in battle."

"What happened to Esa and Nokaj?" Chakotay asked, hoping to find a possible solution to their current predicament.

"Two months after the discovery, they died in a shuttle crash. Sabotage it was suspected, but proven it could not be."

"How did this happen? This... connection?" Tom was more unsettled by the story than he thought he would be. "Was it always there? And if so, why didn't we know about it until now?"

"Not even one old as I know how or why this happens." Yoda shook his head. "But happened it did, connected you are. The will of the Force it is."

"Master, is there a way we can sever this connection?" Tom asked.

Yoda let out a sigh and once again shook his head. "No. And secret this must remain, for widespread fear this might cause. Your lives will be at stake. Meditate I must on this, meditate I must."

Tom was right, he hadn't liked what Master Yoda had said at all. 

* * *

Chakotay could sense the pain and despair growing in Tom; trapped in a nightmare that Chakotay could almost see. He silently cursed Tom's proficiency in security codes, even as he cross-wired the circuits in the lock. The door finally opened with a hiss. 

_What am I doing here?_ he asked himself, rushing into Tom's quarters. 

  
They had agreed earlier that nothing had to change between them, that Chakotay would keep what he saw to himself, and they would go about their business as usual. However, once the nightmares started again, Chakotay couldn't seem to stop himself from wanting to go to Tom, to help in some way. 

"Tom, wake up." He called out, but there was no sign that Tom had heard him. 

Caught in the grips of his nightmare, cold sweat on his forehead, sheets tightly clutched in his fists, Tom couldn't have looked more vulnerable. Chakotay knelt beside the sleeping figure and gently shook him on the shoulder. 

"Tom, wake up. It's just a dream."

With a gasp, Tom's eyes snapped opened, his right hand shot out and grabbed Chakotay's hand on his shoulder. 

"It's just me." Chakotay said calmly.

"Chakotay?" Breathing still heavy, Tom turned to look at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Waking you up from a nightmare it seems." Chakotay knew he was stating the obvious, but he had no idea what else to say. 

Tom let go of his hand and sat up, mumbling a "Sorry."

Chakotay stood up, unsure as to what he was doing. 

  
"Not to sound ungrateful, but what happened to 'minding our own business'?" Tom finally broke the awkward silence between them. 

Chakotay couldn't read Tom's expression. He tried to speak, tried to somehow explain his actions beyond 'I want to' but he couldn't. Instead, he asked, "Are you all right?"

Tom merely nodded his reply, eyes staring at the blank wall opposite his bed. "Thought I'd locked the door."

  
"You did. I had to do some re-wiring." 

"Huh. Guess I'll have to get that fixed." Tom replied, his tone monotonous. 

"Sorry about that. If you're all right, I should – "Chakotay turned to leave, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He stood there on the spot, Tom's hand warm against his, uncertain. 

When Tom began to speak, about his life, his dreams, his fears; all Chakotay could do was listen, all thoughts of leaving forgotten. 

* * *

After the fiasco in his quarters three nights ago, all Tom wanted to do whenever Chakotay was around was to find a hole to crawl into, and the Council had seen fit to pair them up on this mission. He honestly didn't know why he couldn't just stay and wait for Master Nhejo, who had agreed to take him on in order for Tom to complete his training, to come back. 

Chakotay, on the other hand, seemed to be pretending as though nothing had happened. 

  
"Are you sure about this?" Tom asked, looking around the red, rocky desert landscape of Vulcan, a planet in the core system. Chakotay had gotten news that someone on the planet had seen a figure matching those of the Sith Obi-Wan had killed. It was the only lead they had to finding out what the Sith were planning. 

"About as sure as anything Seska tells me." One didn't even need the Force to notice the wariness of Chakotay's tone of voice.

"It's a trap then?"

"Maybe. With Seska, you never know." 

"Why, Chukles, I'm flattered." A female Cardassian seemed to appear out of nowhere. Tom hadn't even sense her approach.

_Don't let her throw you off, she's Force sensitive and can mask her presence from us, but that's about the only ability she has._

Tom fought the urge to glare at Chakotay. _Thanks for the warning._

Smiling openly at Chakotay, she calmly walked up to the Jedi, completely ignoring Tom. "Missed me?" She asked, plastering herself against Chakotay. Tom could sense the unease that was coming off Chakotay in waves.

_Serves you right._

This time, Tom had to fight the urge not to laugh at the mental equivalent of a glare he got in reply. He cleared his throat, reminding the Cardassian that Tom was standing right next to them. 

Seska didn't even budge. "Who's he?" She asked, turning her head slightly to look at Tom. "Cute, if you like them that way. Personally, I prefer tall, dark, and handsome." She turned back to face Chakotay. "Call me old fashioned." 

_Tall, dark, and handsome? **You**_ _?_ Tom cocked his head and pretended to study Chakotay. _Well, all right, I can see her point._

"Seska," Chakotay tried to untangle himself from the woman. "Why are you here? I thought were supposed to be meeting an Andorian." 

Seska finally let go of Chakotay and took a step back, her flirtatious facade gone. "You don't know what you're up against, Chakotay. He is more powerful than you could ever imagine."

"Is this a warning? Doesn't seem to be your style, Seska." Chakotay replied. 

"No, it's not." She smiled again. "It's a warning, and an invitation." 

"To join you?"

"To join the winning side." 

"And what makes you think I would do that?"

"I know you, Chakotay. The calm stoic exterior is merely a mask. I'm more certain about it now than I ever was." She replied, casting a glance in Tom's direction. "Hiding my presence isn't the only talent I have, Chakotay. Use that passion, and power beyond your wildest dreams will be within your grasp. He can offer you the galaxy."

"You're working for the Sith." Tom spoke up for the first time since the Cardassian's appearance. 

"Like I said, I go with the winner." Seska leveled her gaze on Tom. "And you, so much turmoil, so much potential." She turned her attention back to Chakotay and smirked. "I can see why you would choose to stay. The two of you together makes such a pretty mental image. But think about what I said, Chakotay, the Jedi will not win this." 

* * *

"You know some interesting people." Tom commented as he started up the small shuttle's engine, preparing to take off.

"Yeah, interesting. That would be Seska." 

"She unsettles you." 

"That's pretty much Seska too."

"Then why did you contact her in the first place?" 

"Must be my masochistic tendencies. Would explain why I agreed for you to come along." Chakotay mumbled, but in the small space of the shuttle, Tom had no trouble hearing what heÕd said. 

Turning around, he looked at the other man. There was a slight tension there that Tom had never noticed before. "She did more than unsettle you." He commented quietly. "It was what she said about me, about us, isn't it?"

"Master Yoda was right."

"Then you should be glad that we'll be back on Coruscant in a couple of days and I would be out of your hair."Tom turned back towards the consol and punch in the last of the take off sequence. 

"Tom...." Tom didn't want to look at Chakotay. He didn't want to see the conflict in the other man, conflict that he had caused. Master Yoda **was** right, whatever attachment they were feeling, it was too dangerous. 

"We really should work out something so you can block out whatever nightmares I may have. Might allow you to get a decent night's sleep for a change." Yet, even as he said the words, Tom knew instinctively it would be too late. 

* * *

Now that he was aware of the link between them, picking up Tom's presence was almost instinctual. Even with the richness of the life force that surrounded him within the garden, it could not mask the uniqueness of Tom's presence. Tom had been avoiding him ever since they came back from their meeting with Seska, and it made Chakotay became acutely aware of how much he missed the other manÕs company.

Chakotay deactivated the data pad he was reading, still seating with his back towards the younger man. There was no one else in the greenhouse garden, 80 floors above ground. "You're leaving."

"I need to complete my training, I can't do it here, not anymore. And Master Yoda thinks that it's the best course of action. Might also finally let you get a decent night's sleep."

Chakotay let out a small laugh at the comment; he could almost feel Tom's smile. He stood up, turning to face the younger man. "Yeah, that might be a good thing."

"Master Yoda seems to think that distance might dampen the effect of the link, but I guess you already know that. I better go, my transport leaves in a couple of hours, I just wanted to say goodbye. So...bye."

"Tom," Chakotay called out to the fast retreating figure, halting the younger man in his steps. He waited until Tom turned back towards him. Stay with me, he wanted to say, but he stopped himself; it was not the way of the Jedi. "May the Force be with you." 

Tom nodded his acknowledgement, the tentative smiled that was aimed at Chakotay causing a stir in Chakotay's heart. He already knew more about the younger man than he had thought possible and it was drawing him closer to him; it might be wise to purge the thoughts of Tom from his mind. Attachment was a dangerous thing for a Jedi. 

**Chapter 6**

\----------------

Past: 12 Years

\----------------

"It's as though Dooku has been completely erased from existence. There's no trace of him whatsoever, and there doesn't seem to be any link between his disappearance and Master Sifo-Dyas's death either." Chakotay concluded his report. The small ship he was in was already on its way back to Coruscant.

The holo-image of Master Yoda shook his head in disappointment, letting out a sigh. "Powerful Dooku wants to be. Only hope we can that he has not been lured to the Dark Side."

"I'm sorry I couldn't track him down."

"Not your fault. Strong you may be in the Force, but so is Dooku, and many more years experience he has than you. Discuss we will when you get back."

"Yes, Master."

"Good news I have for you too," Yoda's tone took a one-eighty turn from somber to light.

Chakotay frowned, puzzled by Yoda's sudden change in mood. "Good news?"

"Pass the trials Thomas have. Told him he was ready I did, but believe me he did not. Once again I was proven right. Good news is it not?" The Jedi Master teased.

"Yes, good news indeed." Chakotay laughed. "How dare anyone suggest that you might be wrong."

"Learned they should by now, right I am always, which is why listen you must to me. When it comes to Thomas, rein in your feelings you must."

Chakotay felt his breath choked against his throat. "Master Yoda, I'm not – "

"Older you are, responsible you must be. We will talk no more of this until you arrive on Coruscant." Yoda said decisively.

"Yes, Master."

When the transmission ended, Chakotay could only stare blankly at the stars speeding pass him, his thoughts in disarray.

_Waking up from a nightmare that wasn't his, breathing heavy, Chakotay could feel the beads of sweat slowly rolling down his back, making his nightshirt stick to his skin uncomfortably._

Sorry. _The apologetic voice in his head was then followed by a wave of guilt and vulnerability that Tom tried to hide._ I didn't realise you were this close.

I'm on a mission. _Chakotay replied through the strange link between them._ I didn't realise you were this close either. __

_It had been six months since the last time they saw each other. If Chakotay still had any doubts about Thomas Paris, it would've been long gone by this point. All the unintentional glimpse into the younger man's dream only confirmed what the council had said about the incident: Tom was not at fault. However, it was hard to convince Tom, at least his heart. Master Ecihc's death had a much larger impact on the younger man than anyone could possibly have imagined. Chakotay doubted that if he hadn't been in this unique position, he would have never guessed that there were so many things weighing down on the young, seemingly carefree Padawan._

It's been a while. _Chakotay wasn't sure if Tom meant the dreams or something else._

Yes, it has been. _He answered simply._

Sometimes, it catches me off guard, thoughts of you. _It was something else, then._ I'll tell myself to stop, and for a while, everything will be back to normal.

_Chakotay wasn't sure what to say, or even what to think, he had been thinking about Tom as well despite trying not to._ Tom –

I don't know what's going on, but I just can't help it. _Tom continued as though Chakotay hadn't interrupted._ Sometimes, I'd miss having Harry around, but most of the time I miss you. I haven't even known you for that long, yet...

_Maybe it was because of the link between them, or it might have been Tom's late night confession two years ago that had resulted in whatever this was between them. One thing was for sure, it had somehow gone beyond mere friendship._

_They had tried, while still on Coruscant, to shield their thoughts from one another. They were successful to some extent, but the one thing they couldn't hide from each other was their instinctive knowledge of one other. It was as though nothing could weaken the effects of the link once they were aware of its existence._

Don't fight it then. _It wasn't what he had planned to say._ If this link is the will of the Force like Master Yoda said, then so be it. There'd be no point fighting it. _It wasn't what he had planned to say at all_ ! _What he wanted was for Tom to stop thinking about him, complete his trainings and go on his way. He didn't ask for this to happen, he never wanted it. Attachment had no place in a Jedi's life._ Just don't get distracted. Concentrate on your training, and what is to come will come. _But fate, or was it the Force, seemed to have another path set out for him._

The truth was, Chakotay hadn't really been able to get Tom out of his mind ever since that night in Tom's quarters. Constantly wondering and worrying about what Tom might be doing. Chakotay knew he had a protective streak, and Tom had brought it out like no one ever had. He had no idea how much Master Yoda knew about the sparse, yet consistent contact that Tom and him had maintained over the years. However, knowing Master Yoda, he probably knew a lot more than Tom and Chakotay together.

* * *

Tom was surprised that he had passed the trials. He wasn't ready, he knew he wasn't, however Master Yoda had other ideas, and somehow, he had passed. Harry would be proud, if his friend were around. He wasn't sure how Chakotay would react to the news though.

The contacts they'd had over the years through their link had allowed an insight to Chakotay that Tom cherished. The way Chakotay alternated between fighting and embracing what they shared had been comforting to Tom, to know he wasn't the only one facing the same dilemma.

He didn't know exactly when or how it happened, but slowly, the admiration he had for Chakotay grew into something else. For a long time, he couldn't figure out what he was feeling, only that he missed Chakotay.

In Tom's mind, it had always been Master Nhejo's fault that he finally realised he was in love with Chakotay. The Jedi Master had sent him into town on one of the planets they had visited to acquire more provisions. Tom couldn't even remember which planet it was, only that it had crazy weather that was scorching hot one day and freezing cold the next. There had been an accident moments before Tom arrived, a ground transport had malfunctioned and slammed into a fruit and vegetable stall owned by an elderly couple.

_"No one's hurt, right?" Tom asked one of the locals standing beside him, watching the scene before them._

_"Other than the demolished stall, no one's hurt. Damn lucky if you ask me."_

_"Then why is he crying?" Tom gestured towards the elderly human male sitting on top of what used to be a container, hugging an elderly lady._

_"That's Hasiff and Manine, they own the stall, at least what's left of it. Two been married for – " The man stopped, thinking. "About fifty years I think. He's just relief that Manine was all right. It's amazing really, after fifty years, they still love each other so much. I'm barely into my thirties and I've been divorced twice."_

Tom had an epiphany watching Hasiff's relieved sobs and Manine's gentle efforts to reassure her husband that she was all right. Love. He was in love with Chakotay. He wasn't sure how or when it happened, but it was then, for the first time in his life, he wished he wasn't destined to be a Jedi. 

The newly knighted Jedi let out a sigh, abandoning his spot before the window of his quarters and making his way back to his bed. He was in love with Chakotay, he was a Jedi, Master Yoda was going to skin him alive if he ever found out about it. Or rather, more likely he would sigh in disappointment before sending him off to meditate until he was fifty, and there really wasn't anything Tom could do but deal with it all.

* * *

"You've been avoiding me."

Chakotay's first instinct was to deny it even though he knew it was a futile exercise. He noted somewhat humorlessly that they were back in the greenhouse garden where he and Tom had said their farewells more than two years ago. Almost in the exact same spots they were in.

Tom looked good without the braid that marked him as a Padawan.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"No. I don't know... I just needed some space to think." Chakotay hated Tom for his ability to make him feel so out of control. _There is no hate. There is no love. There is only the Force._

"The last two years and a few thousand light years weren't enough?"

"About what Master Yoda said."

Silence, then Tom finally managed to croak out, "Oh."

"And he's right, as always." Chakotay sighed. "It's too dangerous, this thing between us. We shouldn't even be talking about it here in the open."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Right, and who's going to be visiting this garden of yours at this hour? The only time anyone ever comes here is when you're away."

"Still doesn't change the fact that Master Yoda is right."

Tom was again quiet and Chakotay tried not to pry. "It doesn't change the way I feel."

Chakotay could feel his breath catching in his throat, he had a feeling what Tom was going to say, he **knew** what Tom was going to say and he didn't want to hear it. It was against everything that he had been taught and believed in. He had spent years in training, trying to let go of any sort of attachments he had with the world, only to be faced with the biggest challenge in the form of Tom Paris. And just who did Tom think he was? To barge into his life and spin it around so fast that Chakotay couldn't even tell if he was standing –

"I love you."

– or lying flat on his back in a puddle of mud.

"You don't know what you're talking about." He finally managed, letting out a ragged breath that betrayed the tension within him. 

"I think I do."

"You know it's forbidden. We can't. The whole point of all this training we go through is to let go of any attachments."

"Tell me you don't feel it, Chakotay. Tell me you're not feeling what I feel and I'll never bring it up again."

I don't feel it, he wanted to say, but Chakotay couldn't seem to make his tongue work the way he wanted them to. It was crazy, he knew, this urge he had to protect Tom, who was more than capable to taking care of himself. But ever since breaking into the younger man's quarters, seeing him helpless against the onslaught of his dreams....

"I love you." Tom repeated.

"Love is... dangerous. It leads to the path of darkness, the Code – "

"Don't use the Code as an excuse."

  
"It doesn't stop the fact that love often leads to hate and to the Dark Side."

"Then don't make me hate you." Tom said, looking right into Chakotay's eyes, and Chakotay knew he had failed. 

Tom closed the distance between them. Chakotay didn't step away like his brain told him to, he didn't push Tom away when the younger man kissed him, and he kissed Tom back with a passion he didn't know that raged within him; wanting beyond anything else to keep Tom with him, keep him safe, and love him. 

Tom Paris was his downfall, he knew it, but he didn't care. 

* * *

"Tom, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Harry – "

"I know that tone. It's the 'I know I'm going to get in trouble but to hell with it' tone." Harry interrupted his friend as he continued to pace by the foot of the bed where Tom was sitting. "I hate that tone."

"I haven't seen you for more than a year and that's the first thing you ask me?" Tom asked in amusement.

"Maybe that's because you've managed to screw up your life beyond my wildest imagination. Seriously Tom, what are you doing? You know it's completely against everything we've been taught, what we believe. I can't believe you've managed to get away with it. And.... and.... **Chakotay** of all people! He should know better than to... to... " Harry gestured futilely with his hands, words failing him. Tom would've laughed at how flustered Harry looked if not for the seriousness of the situation.

"What? Fall in love with me?"

"Yes!" Tom thanked the Force that they were alone in his quarters. Even so, if they got any louder, anyone passing by would be able to hear them. "Love is... love has no part in the life of a Jedi. You know it, I know it, and Chakotay should know it better than anyone!"

"Harry, in case you've forgotten, our circumstances weren't exactly normal. I've tried to fight it, gods I've tried, but I just can't. And before you say anything, Chakotay has fought it harder than I have, it just...happened."

"Oh please, things like this don't just happen." Harry snorted in disbelief.

"You think I asked for this? You think that it's easy trying to keep it a secret in a place where everyone has the potential to read your every thought, to see your future? Trust me Harry, I did **not** asked for this to happen, and neither did Chakotay."

"Then, how – " Harry stopped pacing and plopped himself down beside Tom. "How the hell did it happen? You barely knew the guy."

"I know," Tom sighed. "But it's like I've known him all my life, and I'm more aware of him than anyone else. It's almost like I feel what he feels and vice versa." It was part of the truth. "I can't describe it Harry."

Silence descended upon the room as Harry contemplates what he had learned. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"I don't know." Tom shook his head. "We've been keeping it a secret for the last few months. I think Master Yoda knows, but he isn't saying anything. And now I'm telling you."

"If the council ever finds out about this – "

"We'll be kicked out faster than they did with Lizia. Yeah, I know."

Silence.

"You're happy?"

Tom nodded.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh. "Good. You've been... less than happy for a long time."

"Thanks, Harry."

"You do realise you're completely insane."

"Yeah, I know." Tom replied with a smile.

**Chapter 7**

\----------------

Present: Year 0

\----------------

The twin moons of Dantooine shone down on the trio as Tom, Harry and Gerron made their way to the base of the alliance against the new Empire. Supplies and equipment were spread haphazardly all over the hanger while droids and various personnel tried to sort the place into some semblance of order.

Not all had been lost.

"Tom! Harry!" The two Jedi look towards the direction of the voice, seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi waving for them to follow. "Master Yoda said you'd be coming." Obi-Wan clasp Tom on the shoulder. "I wasn't sure if you'd made it out or not. And Gerron," the bearded Jedi turned to address the teen. "Master Niquon has been worried about you, he's in the tactical room, two levels up."

The adults watched, amused, as the teen rushed off. "I thought I'd never get rid of him." Harry rolled his eyes at Tom's comment.

"Admit it, you're fond of him."

"He's a pain in the butt, Harry."

"So are you," Obi-Wan said, smiling at the blond. "Come on, Master Yoda's waiting for us."

* * *

Tom, Harry and Obi-Wan entered the conference room silently, standing at the back, observing. The conference room was in a similar state of disorganisation as the rest of the base. "We should strike back now when they least expect it," declared a middle-aged man Tom did not recognise. Looking around the room, Tom realised Master Yoda and Master Windu were the only other Jedi present. 

"What with do you propose we strike back with, Minister Yidan?" A dark skinned Vulcan dressed in a Kamparian military uniform asked, as calm as Master Yoda. "The majority of the Jedi's fleet has been destroyed. The Eriaduan military, if I'm not mistaken, is in a similar situation as well as the Kamparian military."

"Commander Tuvok is right," a female Kamparian Captain chimed in. "At this point in time, we are in no position to mount a full scale war against Palpatine. Everyone in the Republican Senate is either supporting him or too afraid of him to even imagine going against him right now, to do so would only be suicide."

"Then what do you propose we do, Janeway?" The first man, Yidan asked, clearly frustrated. "Half of our numbers have been eliminated, and because of our support of the Jedi, the population of Eriadu is being systematically wiped out, and I will **not** stand by and watch my people die!"

The occupants of the room fell into a hush at Yidan's outburst.

"Feel your pain we do, Minister," Master Yoda broke the silence. "However Captain Janeway is right. No chance we will have in a strike back. Stronger fleet Palpatine has, more powerful his weapons are, fear of him people are. Not even at full strength will we win a direct confrontation." Yoda shook his head and sighed, something the elderly Jedi Master seemed to be doing a lot of lately, Tom noted.

"What we need to do," Master Windu took over. "Is to convince the members of the Republican Senate to turn against Palpatine. We need to work from the inside. It will not be easy, but it's the best chance we have against Palpatine."

"And in the meantime, we just sit and wait while my people die?" Yidan protested.

"Yours are not the only people who are dying Minister," Captain Janeway's voice was low and icy. "Our people are being targeted by Palpatine as well, but there is more to this than our two worlds and the Jedi Order. The fate of the entire known galaxy is at risk here, and I will not allow you to jeopardise any chance we might have to overthrow Palpatine."

"United you must be to fight this, an alliance must be form."

"The Council will lead this alliance?" asked Yidan.

"The Jedi won't be able to help much with the alliance." Tom spoke up, surprising everyone in the room including Tom himself.

"Without the aid of the Jedi Knights, the chances of success falls considerably," Commander Tuvok frowned.

"This is more than just a show of power by Palpatine, he doesn't just want to show the universe that the Jedi are not as strong as they thought. We are a threat to him and his throne. He will not rest until every single Jedi Knight has been destroyed."

Janeway seemed unconvinced. "The Jedi have been the protector of the Republic for thousands of years, not a force to be trifled with. How can you be sure of this?"

"Because I have foreseen it." Tom could feel every pair of eyes in the room watching him. "Thousands of Jedi lay dead beneath his feet. I have seen it. Palpatine and Cofoan **have** to be stopped." The conviction in his voice weighed heavily down on the room.

"Thomas is right." Everyone, even Mace Windu was surprised by Yoda. "Hunted we are by Palpatine, barely a handful of us remained as it is. Sense us he can through the Force, a liability we will be to the cause, and covert you must be. No," Yoda shook his head. "Scatter through the galaxy we must to survive, distract him we will from this alliance as long as it is possible. Little time you have to gather as many help as you can before he knows of the alliance."

"We have compiled a list of people who are likely to be persuaded to our cause," Master Windu added. "Contact will have to be made with them before it's too late. I believe Minister Yidan and Captain Janeway should be able to coordinate efforts to accomplish this." Windu nodded at the two leaders and stood up, signaling the end of the meeting.

"Master." Tom address Yoda with a bow as the Jedi Master made his way towards the exit.

"Come, Thomas. There is much we need to talk about. You too, young Harry."

* * *

It had been ten minutes since Master Yoda left. Tom and Harry had yet to move from where they sat, shocked by the extent of the devastation the Jedi had suffered. 

"Twenty-three, not counting the children we got out with, only twenty-three of us left." Harry muttered. 

Tom shook his head. "I'm surprised that he hasn't managed to wipe every single one of us out. His attacks took everyone by surprise, no one expected the Republic's troop would turn on them."

"Did you hear what Master Yoda said? Gerron and the other children we got out with were the only padawan that survived! They didn't spare even the youngest! There're only **twenty-three** **of us left,** and you think he hasn't done a good enough job of taking us out? " 

"That's not what I'm saying! What I'm saying is that it could be worse, that every single one of us could be dead and there would be no one left alive to stop him." 

Harry made a conscious effort to calm himself down, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. "Can we take him out?" The unasked question was clear to Tom, _can **you**_ _take him out?_

"We have to, Harry. There is no other way."

* * *

"What are your orders, my Master?" Cofoan knelt before the hooded holographic image of Palpatine.

"I have felt a disturbance in the Force," Palpatine replied. "Thomas Paris. You were close to him once, were you not?"

"Yes, my Master." There was no doubt that Palpatine knew about Tom's earlier vision, or at least a part of it.

"Good. See to it that he is destroyed."

"Yes, my Master."

The holographic image of the new emperor winked out of existence as the transmission ended. Cofoan got up to his feet, eyes still focused on the spot the hologram occupied. Now more than ever, he had to be careful. He could not let his thoughts and emotions betray him.

**Chapter 8**

\----------------

Past: 9 Years

\----------------

"Liz!" Tom stared at the holographic image of his elder sister in surprise. He was in the cockpit of a small one-man craft, orbiting the planet Tatooine while he waited for the port authorities to grant him clearance to land. The desert planet was overflowing with traffic for some reason that Tom had yet to find out. "I haven't seen you since – "

"Since I got kicked out seven years ago?" Lizia completed the thought with a smile.

"Well, yeah. I wanted to look for you, but you said don't, so..." Tom frowned. "Are you in trouble?"

"Not exactly," Lizia's tone did not inspire confidence in Tom. "You see, I met this guy, Jon. He's a great guy. Spice trader from Corellia with his own ship and all. It's all very interesting. Did you know that there are actually people out there who... "

Even without his Jedi powers, Tom could tell something was definitively going on with his sister, he narrowed his eyes at the holo-image of his sibling, "Lizia Jeanette Paris –"

"We fell in love, got married, and now I'm pregnant. If mum and dad finds out, they're going to put a bounty on my head." Lizia finally confessed in a rush.

Tom blinked.

Feisty was one of the words that had been used to describe Lizia Paris. The same fiery spirit that had Master Windu deemed her unsuitable for further Jedi training, and the girl who, at eighteen, had cursed the entire Jedi Council to their faces as she was being escorted out of the Temple. Marrying and becoming a mother was nowhere **near** the vicinity of the list of things Tom had expected from his spirited elder sister.

"Tom? Say something would you?"

"I never saw that coming." He finally managed.

"Ha! Not even the great Jedi knows everything!" She smiled, triumphant.

"We never did claim to know everything," Tom defended. "Married? **Pregnant** ?!"

"Trust me, the pregnancy was a surprise to me too. I guess we Paris, at least this Paris, is good at doing the unexpected."

Tom snorted at his sister's declaration.

"What?" Lizia looked affronted at first before she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Tommy?"

"Don't call me that," Tom groaned. "And I didn't say anything!"

"You don't have to. What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Tom denied, knowing Lizia was going to hassle him until he tell her something.

"Thomas Eugene Paris – " Tom was glad Lizia was halfway across the galaxy.

"You know, you look at lot like mother when you do that." Diversion was always a good tactic.

" – you better tell me what you've been up to or you'll be sorry that you were ever born, and– "

"Lizia, there's nothing to tell!" Diversion was also futile when it came face to face with a determined Lizia Paris.

" – while I'm not a fully trained Jedi, I do have **some** training and aren't afraid to use them."

"Lizia," Tom let out a sigh. "I... " He trusted his sister, there was no question about that, but only Harry and Master Yoda knew about his relationship with Chakotay. After failing to get either of them to severe their relationship, Yoda had made sure they understood the importance of keeping it a secret.

"Tommy?"

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean –"

"No, not like that. This isn't a secure channel."

"I see." Lizia nodded.

"Look, I need to get going anyway, but I should be done here in a few days. I'd need to report back to the council after that, but maybe we can meet up somewhere between here and Coruscant. I'll contact you when I'm done here, all right?"

"Yeah, all right. You're not in trouble are you?"

"Me? In trouble?" Tom feigned surprise. "That's more **your** department, Liz."

* * *

"Are you **out of your mind** ?! And you're telling me you're **not** in trouble?! Do you have **any** idea at all what they'd do to you, to **him** if they ever found out?!" Liz was pacing at the foot of the bed where Tom was lying on top of the covers.

"Why did I think that it was a good idea to tell you?" Tom moaned, his voice muffled by the pillow he had covered his head with. The siblings had met in a cheap hotel on Kronos, another planet in the outer rims populated by a race of warriors. Tom had discarded his Jedi robes and opted for casual clothing in order to blend in better with the general public. Coruscant was possibly the only place in the known galaxy where someone would walk pass a Jedi without a second glance.

"What were you **thinking** ?!" Liz continued as though Tom had not spoken. "It'll probably be enough to kill mum and dad if they ever find out. Hell, and I thought I was the trouble maker in this family, but you have me beat my brother, never thought you had it in you." She finally stopped trying to wear the carpet out and sat down on the bed.

Tom had shifted the pillow off his face and placed it beneath his head, propping himself up to see his sister better. "Liz, it's not like we could control it, you know."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Love is – "

"Strange? Exhilarating? Terrifying?"

"I was going for 'insane', but what you said applies just as well."

"Yeah."

"Tom, how the hell did this happen? Not that I'm not happy for you, but how could Yoda let this happen?"

"Master Yoda didn't just 'let' anything happen, Liz. He tried to warn us, we tried to stay away, but it just... Liz, there's something between us, something beyond this connection we share. Chakotay said I was the first person who got under his skin within minutes of meeting him. And he was the only person other than you and Master Yoda whose opinion was important to me even when we first met." Tom paused, collecting his thoughts. "Under normal circumstances, we would probably end up friends, but the link..." Tom trailed off, unsure as to how much to reveal to his sister.

"Tom?"

Lizia was his sister, the same sister who had snuck into his room at night to comfort him after a nightmare, the same sister who defended him without question against anyone who dared picked on him, there were no secret between them. "It took things to a much more intimate level."

Liz scrunched up her face. "Do I want to know?"

Tom chuckled. "Whatever's going through your mind, get it out, it's nothing like that."

"And how would you know what's in my mind?"

Tom raised his eyebrows. "Jedi, remember?"

"Fine. So, link?"

"I'm not too sure I know how to describe it, Liz. It's like... we've known each other our entire lives, and I don't feel that alone anymore." Tom finished in a near whisper, looking at the cracked ceiling of the room.

"I'm sorry," Liz grabbed Tom's left hand and gave it a squeeze. " I knew you were having troubles when I left, I should've stayed in contact, should've let you know that I'd always be here for you, whatever you need – "

"Liz..." Tom finally turned to look at his sister, finding a familiar pair of blue eyes filled with unshed tears.

" – it was selfish of me to disappear on you and everyone else."

"Liz, you weren't that much older, and you had your own problems to deal with."

"But I shouldn't have told you not to look for me. I could've been dead for all you know."

"I'll know it if anything happens to you, just like you'll know if anything happens to me."

"Aw, great, you've gone and make me cry. I hate being pregnant. Stupid hormones screwing up my image." Liz complained, sniffling and wiping her eyes with her sleeves.

Tom laughed. "Yeah, it's tough being a pregnant pirate."

"I'm not a pirate!" She punched him hard on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

* * *

"You told her." The statement was followed by a gentle nip on Tom's naked right thigh. Chakotay's left hand rested on Tom's hip, his thumb gently rubbing circles on the skin. The had landed as scheduled on a lowly populated area of the planet Krant, a simple mission of collecting a data chip from a Bothan informant and reporting back to the council. The only thing they found once they made their way to the rendezvous point was a message from the informant saying he had been delayed, and to meet him at an alternate point the same time tomorrow.

"She's my sister." Tom ran his fingers through Chakotay's hair, tugging gently to guide the other man back up. Blue eyes met brown. "I've never kept secrets from her."

"I know."

The kiss they shared was both loving and urgent. Despite their shared link, the need to keep their relationship secret had made it almost impossible for any sort of physical relationship. It was only during the occasional intelligence mission that the council sent them on did they get the chance to be alone, and even that was subjected to the amount of time they had for each mission. Time was a luxury they could afford on this mission.

"I can never get enough of this, of you." Tom flipped Chakotay over, switching their positions so that he was now on top. The camp they had made in the forest was simple. A tent to keep the unwanted insects out and a fire pit for warmth and food. The day was not late enough for either to be put in use, so a large sleeping bag spread on the ground was the only thing between them and the grass.

Chakotay's arms wrapped themselves around the blonde on top of him, caressing, feeling the softness of the skin beneath his hands, holding. "Might have something to do with how infrequent we do this." Chakotay teased.

"Mmm..." Tom gently bit a sensitive spot on Chakotay's shoulder, making the older man moan before kissing the same spot, soothing it. "Maybe."

As the sun set, the magnificent sight of the glowing multi-coloured tree barks of the Krant forest was lost to the lovers who only had eyes for each other.

**Chapter 9**

\----------------

Present: Year 1

\----------------

"Shh, quiet or they'll find us." Harry hushed the squirming little boy in his arms while Tom held the boy's twin sister. They were hidden in an underground storage bunker beneath the house where the children had lived. Even then, they could still hear the destruction above them as storm troopers searched and interrogated the villagers.

For the first time since Palpatine's empire came into power, Tom and Harry weren't the storm troopers' target. It was the twins that held the interest of the self proclaimed emperor, and that was enough of a reason for Tom to make sure Palpatine never got to them.

"Where is Papa?" the little girl whispered, barely audible, somehow realising their dire situation despite her young age.

"Shh," Tom hushed her, not answering her question. Papa, Momma, and Granny had all been dragged off by the storm troopers to be interrogated. The Jedi Knights knew the twins would never see their family again. The children didn't need to know this, not yet.

It was by sheer luck that Tom and Harry had arrived merely minutes before the Imperial troops and had managed to get the children hidden before the door to their home was knocked down. Tom could still hear the dying screams of a neighbour who had tried to stop them before the doors crashed open.

After what seemed like endless hours, the storm troopers finally left and the two Jedi emerged from their hiding place, their charges clinging onto them.

"If they're following previous procedures, there'll be a team left behind on the lookout for us." Harry said, his voice low as they carefully made their way out of town, heading in the opposite direction the Imperial troops had taken. "We'd have to lay low for a while before attempting to leave."

"We can't just leave their parents!" Tom protested.

"Tom, they have a battalion up there." Harry motioned towards the sky. "Even without the children, the chances of a rescue mission succeeding isn't good," the younger Jedi argued. "Tom, these two don't stand a chance if the emperor gets his hands on them, we need to get them out of here." Harry pleaded when Tom seemed unconvinced. "And we need your piloting skills to do that."

"You're right." The blonde Jedi's shoulder slumped in defeat. "Let's go."

* * *

"My Lord, I assure you we **will** find the child and bring him before you." The Captain said with confidence.

"You do realise the importance of this mission, don't you?" Cofoan asked, looking out at the stars from the bridge of _Vigilance_ , the reflection of the Captain standing behind him clearly visible to him.

"Yes, my lord."

"Then you should also realise that failure is not an option."

"Yes, my lord. We will – " The Captain's words were cut off with a choke, his hands scrambling to pry off an invisible grip against his throat as he struggled to breathe. Slowly he sank to the ground, his oxygen deprived body no longer having the strength to support him.

"Lieutenant, you are now in charge of this mission."

"Yes, my lord."

The last thing the Captain heard before he was dragged into the void of death was the sound of Cofoan's boots against the deck as the Sith Lord walked passed him.

* * *

The guilt of their inability to save the children's parents weighed heavily on Tom. Master Yoda was certain that the boy was the one prophesized to bring balance to the Force; it was the reason Palpatine was hunting them. What remained of the Jedi Order were now debating the fate of the twins, the only option they had was to hide them. Where, Tom didn't want to know. He could feel Cofoan closing in on him and he knew that eventually, he would have to face the Dark Jedi. The less he knew, the better it would be for the cause. Tom swore that when the time came, Cofoan would not get anything from him.

If Harry were with him, he would have told Tom he was brooding, but his younger friend had probably passed out from exhaustion in the next room. The temporary quarters they were assigned to were spares, containing only a bunk bed and a computer terminal. The gray walls were indistinguishable from one room to the other, designed for efficiency rather than comfort. Tom knew he should be resting as well, if only his mind would stop thinking. Reaching into his pocket, Tom retrieved a holocube – the only personal possession he had taken with him when they evacuated the Jedi Temple – and switched it on, remembering.

_"How the hell do you work this thing?" Harry Kim struggled with Lizia's newly purchased holo-recording device in his hands._

_It was a rare occasion for them all to be gathered together, especially when it seemed as though the Republic was on the verge of shaking itself apart. However Lizia had demanded Tom's presence at her son's third birthday celebration; she was adamant that Han would get to meet his uncle. Tom was lucky that they had completed a routine intelligence-gathering mission, Harry's first as a full fledge Jedi Knight, and was able to spare a day to visit his sister. Chakotay had objected to the detour at first, but Tom had been able to change his mind, much to Harry's amusement._

_"The great Jedi Master Kim not knowing how to work a simple holo-recorder? Will wonder ever cease!" Liz teased. "And watch your language, we've got a minor here."_

_"Right, like Jon hasn't cussed when his precious son is within earshot," Tom snorted at his sister before turning his attention to his three-year-old nephew bouncing on his knees. "I bet your dad taught you how to cuss, hasn't he, Han?" He whispered in a conspiratorial tone to the toddler._

_The young boy giggled and nodded. "Daddy knows lots of cuss words!" he proclaimed, unwittingly giving away his father's secret. Sitting next to Tom, Chakotay couldn't help but chuckle at the innocent reply._

_"Jonash Solo, what have you been teaching our son?" Liz's angry gazed turned towards the man in question, who was lying in a hammock napping under the warm summer sun._

_"What?" Jon woke up with a start, the swinging hammock causing him to lose balance and fall gracelessly onto the soft beach sand._

_"Daddy!" Han squirmed his way out of Tom's hold and rushed to his father's aid while Tom and Chakotay fell over each other laughing at the scene._

_"Got it!" Harry pressed the control button on the recorder, which happened to be aimed in Tom and Chakotay's direction. "I think I like the older version of this thing better," the young Jedi commented before proceeding to take a picture of little Han Solo trying to help his father up._

"Tom?" Harry's voice at the door interrupted Tom's thoughts. "Had a feeling you might still be up."

"Thought you'd be resting by now." Tom replied, switching off the holocube.

The door closed behind Harry as the younger man walked into Tom's quarters. "Can't stop thinking about what'll happen to those two kids," Harry shrugged, sitting down beside Tom. "He's not coming back, you know," he added, looking down at the holocube in Tom's hand.

Tom followed his friend's gaze, letting out a ragged breath. "I know." He pocketed the small device before looking up again. "He has to be stopped, Harry."

"Don't have to convince me," Harry chuckled humorlessly.

"It's been more than a year since the destruction of the Temple on Coruscant, and all we've been doing is dodging his troops. Our numbers are dwindling while his forces continue to grow." Tom stood up, no longer able to tolerate the stillness, needing to move.

"Tom, we knew from the start that he couldn't be stopped overnight. These things take time, it takes planning."

"Well, how long is it going to take? The entire galaxy quakes in their boots at the mention of his name, he's hunting down Jedi all across the galaxy, so many of us have fallen. He has even beaten Master Windu! And what exactly are we doing to stop him? All we've been doing is hiding."

"I don't know about you, but I just saved two kids from a fate worse than death," Harry replied, glaring at Tom.

"And they'll grow up without a family because we lack the necessary forces to save them. I'm not sure which is worse."

"What? You'd rather they fall into the hands of Cofoan and Palpatine and be **tortured** and **die** along with their family? Is that what you want? Because that's what would've happened if we'd gone back for them, and we would've played directly into their hands, is that what you want?" Harry retorted.

"No, that's not what I want!" Tom snapped.

Harry didn't even flinch at his outburst. "Then what is it you're after? Revenge? Is that it? That's all it ever was to you isn't it? Chakotay; it always comes back to him."

"No, I just... I..." Energy seemed to flow out of him and Tom's shoulders slumped in defeat. "What we've been doing, all the sabotage, the intelligence gathering, the alliance's assassination attempts, it's not even slowing him down." Leaning back against the wall opposite the bunk, Tom let himself slid down to the floor, the fight having gone out of him. "I want him to stop, Harry. I just want him to stop." Tom finished quietly, eyes staring blankly at the ground.

"Tom," Harry sighed. "It's been more than three years, you have to let it go."

"How? Everywhere I turn, I see his name. He betrayed us, betrayed me."

"I know, but you can't go on like this. You're losing control, and I don't know how to help you," Harry's pained tone made Tom look up. "Did you know Master Yoda pulled me aside earlier?" Tom shook his head. "He's worried about you, told me to keep an eye out for you, but what good would that do? You're falling apart right in front of me and I haven't a clue what to do."

"Harry – "

"You have to let it go, Tom. You have to, or it'll destroy you." Harry pleaded with his friend.

Tom looked up at him, eyes filled with anguish. "I don't know if I can."

**Chapter 10**

\----------------

Past: 4 Years

\----------------

"I warn you, if you vote to create this army, war will follow." Senator Padme Amidala addressed the Republic Senate, various yells and boos from other members of the Senate followed her statement. "I have experienced the misery of war firsthand, and have no desire to do it again," the young Senator continued, unfazed.

If he hadn't known about the assassination attempt on Senator Amidala barely an hour ago, Tom wouldn't have been able to tell from the young Senator's demeanor that she had narrowly escaped being killed. Calm and collected, Tom wondered what it would take to unnerve the young woman. In light of the threat, the Jedi Council had ordered Tom to keep a discreet watch over the former Naboo queen until they could arrange for a more permanent protection.

"Wake up, Senators, you must wake up!" Amidala continued, her voice strong and confident. "If we offer the Separatist violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives. All will lose their freedom."

The Separatist. A faction of systems and planets who had separated themselves from the Republic, believing that the Republican Senate was now under the influence of a Dark Jedi, an argument Tom had considered highly possible given the actions the Senate had been taking. But Tom wasn't convinced that the Separatist were free from the control of the Sith either.

"This decision could very well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic. I pray to you, do not let fear push you into a disastrous decision. Vote down this security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war! Does anyone here want that? I cannot believe they do."

Tom could think of at least one person who would want war, the Sith who was hiding among them. It had been ten years since they have traced the transmission to Coruscant, yet they were still nowhere near to finding out who had sent it. Tom had a strong feeling that the Dark Jedi was right here in the arena, a member of the Senate; the highest level of government within the Republic, where the most damage could be done.

"I concur with Senator Amidala." A pod floated down, stopping next to Amidala's at the centre of the arena.

"The Chair recognises Ambassador Neelix of Dorvan." The aid to Grand Chancellor Palpatine announced.

"My world sits at the border of Republic and Separatist territories. If a war was to happen, and I'm sure it would if the Senate authorises this army to be built, we will be devastated! I urge all of you not to approve this!" The Ambassador's statement was followed by both applause and boos by members of the Senate, indicating a clear split in decision on the matter.

"My motion to defer the vote must be dealt with first. That's the rule of law!" One of the other Senator's pods floated next to the other side of Amidala's in front of Palpatine, his patience clearly stretched to the limit.

"Due to the lateness of the hour and the seriousness of this motion, we will take up these matters tomorrow." The grand chancellor gave Amidala a sympathetic look. "Until then, the Senate stands adjourned."

* * *

Master Yoda and him were the only ones in the small meeting room, one of many throughout the Jedi Temple.

"Certain are you of this, Thomas?"

"I am, Master. But I can't tell exactly who."

"Clouded are your senses by the Dark Side. Grave danger the Republic is in if true is what you said."

"Senator Amidala is right, Master. The Senate cannot be allowed to build an army. If a Sith Lord **is** among them, then the Jedi Order would be his greatest threat. What will then prevent him from turning that army against us? We are spread thin enough as it is, with the Separatist creating troubles."

"More you think there is to the Separatist, hmm?"

"Yes," Tom took a deep breath, hoping that Yoda would believe in what he was about to say. "I'm not entirely certain, but I think the Separatist movement is another ploy by the Sith to weaken and undermine us. I have a feeling it's working."

The elderly Jedi appeared deep in thought, before slowly shaking his head. "Hard will it be to convince council of this."

"But you must, Master. If they were to succeed, they will have the power of the entire Republic Senate in their hands, and wiping out the Jedi would just be a matter of time."

Yoda closed his eyes, his face showing intense concentration. "Impossible to see the future is, the Dark Side shrouds everything," Yoda let out a sigh. "Convince the council I will try, but unlikely it is they will accept this with no proof." Yoda slowly made his way towards one of the many chairs in the room and sat down. "Come, sit." He pointed his walking stick at a chair next to his.

Tom obeyed. "Master?"

"To protect Amidala Obi-Wan and Chakotay have been assigned."

"I know."

"Just returned from Ansion they have."

"I know that too."

"Haven't seen Chakotay, have you?"

"No, I haven't." Tom had no idea where Master Yoda was going.

"Hard it must be, for you."

"Master, what are you saying?"

"It will not end well, Chakotay and you. Love and passion no place they have in a Jedi's life. Told you this I have many times. Told Chakotay this I have also. Stubborn both of you are." Yoda shook his head again. "But maybe see through the Dark Side you could with this link you share."

Tom frowned in puzzlement. "If it's because of the link, then why isn't Chakotay seeing it?"

"Stronger you both are in the Force because of the link. Share your thoughts and feelings he will, but he sees only what he perceives. Strong influence you have on him, however make up his own mind he will." Yoda explained. "Know what I speak of, do you not?" The Jedi Master's tone was... teasing.

Tom wished he could have control over the blush that he suspect was visible from orbit.

"Good it will be if change his mind you can, but remember, his own man Chakotay is, and so are you."

"I will remember that, Master."

* * *

"You don't trust him?" Chakotay asked his fellow Jedi. Senator Amidala's apartment was quiet, but they were both on the lookout for any potential threats.

"Who?" Obi-Wan replied, eyes never leaving the window.

"Chancellor Palpatine."

"He's a politician. It's been my experience that they'll please whoever is funding their campaign. None of them can be trusted."

"Surely that's a gross generalisation?" Chakotay argued.

"And you think Palpatine is the exception?"

"I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him."

"He was the one who helped the council convinced your parents?" Obi-Wan turned to look at Chakotay, surprised by the revelation. Chakotay nodded. "I see."

"What could he possibly gain from – " Chakotay stopped abruptly, looking towards Obi-Wan.

"I sensed it too," the other Jedi confirmed with a nod.

Both men rushed into Amidala's room, greeted by the sight of two giant centipede like creatures inches away from the senator. The creatures rose up on their hide legs and hissed at the Jedi. Lightsaber drawn, Obi-Wan wasted no time in hacking the creature in half while Chakotay went after a black round probe droid hovering outside the bedroom window.

Seeing the droid move away from the window, Chakotay abandoned caution to the wind and crashed through the glass window, grabbing the robot before it could flee. The small hovering droid lost altitude and sank under the additional weight, but it somehow managed to stay afloat, gaining speed as it flew away from the apartment building with Chakotay hanging precariously to it.

"Damn," Chakotay cursed as he looked down. They were hundreds of feet above ground and there was no way for him to stop the droid without falling to his death himself. "Probably not one of my best ideas." He muttered to himself, looking around to see if they were flying above anything tall enough to break his fall. Nothing.

_Definitely not one of your best ideas,_ Tom's voice sounded in his mind. _Seriously, what **were**_ _you thinking, jumping out a hundred-story window onto a flying droid?_

_You do realise I'm a little busy at the moment._ The droid choose this moment to release an electrical shock, causing Chakotay to almost lose his grip on it.

_Need help?_ Chakotay could hear the laughter in his mind.

_I'm going to fall to death at any moment and you think it's funny?_

_Don't worry_ , Tom said with a barely contained chuckle. _Obi-Wan's on his way. Besides, it's only a droid, I know you can handle it._ And with that, Tom's presence receded from his mind.

Chakotay swore he'd kill Tom the moment he figured a way out of his current predicament. Chakotay let out a series of curses as the droid flew wildly into traffic, swinging and bumping the Jedi into on coming traffics and building walls in an attempt to rid itself of its unwelcome passenger. But Chakotay's grip on it was relentless. "After all this trouble you've put me through, I'm not letting you go that easily!" Sensing danger, Chakotay dropped his head just in time to miss a shot aimed at him. More shot were fired, but they were all off target. Chakotay could barely make out a dark hooded figure on a rooftop aiming at him.

"Great, this is just great!" Hanging onto the droid with one hand, Chakotay reached for the machine's circuitry at the back. He finally pulled out a couple of wires, disconnecting them only to realise it was the droid's main power supply as the lifeless droid succumbed to gravity, taking Chakotay with it. "Son of a...." The Jedi cursed, the buzz and honking of a hundred speeders flying pass his ears. Before he could try to reconnect the wires, Chakotay felt someone grabbing hold of him. He slammed into the side of a speeder at the sudden stop.

"You've got to lose some weight!" Obi-Wan grunted, trying to split his attention between flying the speeder in the heavy traffic and helping his fellow Jedi.

Still clutching onto the droid with one hand, Chakotay pulled himself up and landed in a heap in the passenger side of the vehicle. "What took you so long?"

"Finding a speeder with an open cockpit is harder than one might expect!"

"There!" Chakotay pointed towards a blue speeder taking off from a rooftop where the shots had came from.

"I see it." Obi-Wan acknowledged, giving chase. A red and white speeder wheezed pass them, its honk blaring as Obi-Wan narrowly missed a head on collision with it. "Now I remember why I hate flying," the bearded Jedi muttered, taking a hard right turn at a building. Obi-Wan accelerated, whizzing and veering pass the traffic ahead of them to come directly behind the blue speeder, banking a hard right to avoid the blaster shot aimed at them.

"Get on top of him," Chakotay ordered. "And don't lose it," he added after thrusting the droid towards Obi-Wan. "I went through a **lot** of trouble to get it."

"Oh no, you're not doing what I think you're doing!" Obi-Wan protested, dodging yet another blaster shot while trying to shove the droid into the speeder's storage compartment between the seats.

"Just get on top of him." Chakotay was now standing on his seat, his hand gripping the windscreen for balance.

"I think he's a her, and this is insane!" Obi-Wan increase their altitude despite his protests, now flying above the blue speeder whose female pilot was still shooting at them randomly. "You've spent too much time with Tom and his brand of insanity is rubbing off on you!"

"You can tell him that next time you see him." Chakotay jumped out of the speeder, landing on the roof of the blue speeder a few meters below them, his hands clutching onto the edge of the windows to avoid being flung off. Grabbing hold of his lightsaber with his left hand, Chakotay activated the weapon and thrust it through the roof of the speeder. There was a scream and the speeder veered wildly onto incoming traffic.

"Damn it!" Chakotay cursed, holding on tightly to the speeder. "That probably wasn't a good idea either." He quickly deactivated his weapon and hooked it back onto his belt. Repositioning himself, he managed to take a quick look into the cockpit; the pilot had passed out from the lightsaber wound that Chakotay had unintentionally inflicted upon her. With deft movements, Chakotay swung himself around and slipped into the out of control speeder through its window. He quickly regained control of the craft, but not before the passenger side slammed into a speeder in another lane, causing it to spin out of control, crashing into yet another speeder ahead of them. "Shit!"

He finally managed to get the speeder to stop, landing it on top of the roof of one of the many buildings around. A moan signaled that the pilot was awakening; Chakotay secured her weapons and climbed out of the battered speeder, aware that Obi-Wan was landing his borrowed speeder just a few meters away.

Just as he was about to drag the pilot out of the speeder, a sense of danger fell upon him. 

"Look out!" Chakotay was already hurling himself away from the blue speeder even as Obi-Wan cried out the warning.

The building below them shook from the impact of the exploding speeder.

**Chapter 11**

\----------------

Past: 4 Years

\----------------

"We followed the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis," the holographic image of Obi-Wan reported. Tom was standing behind Master Yoda in the Council Chambers along with several other members of the council.

"The Trade Federation is taking a delivery of a droid army here and clearly Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala," Obi-Wan continued. "Both the Commerce Guilds and Corporate Alliance have pledged their armies to Count Dooku and – "

"We've got company, shut it down!" Suddenly the image of Chakotay appeared in the transmission, lightsaber drawn but not activated. Obi-Wan turned around in alarm, quickly reaching out and terminating the transmission.

Master Yoda turned towards Master Windu. "More happening on Geonosis, I feel, than has been revealed."

Mace Windu nodded his agreement. "It's clear that the Commerce Guilds has some treaty with Count Dooku and is preparing for war. They must be stopped before they are ready."

"Masters," Tom spoke up. "Don't you think that this is all more than a coincidence? Count Dooku disappeared ten years ago, only to turn up now as the head of the Separatist movement, leading an attack against the Republic. Just earlier, Obi-Wan and Chakotay discovered a clone army built for the Republic ten years ago, which we can now utilise against the Separatist. An army supposedly ordered by a Jedi Master who wasn't authorised by the Council to do so. The Republic Senate was still debating whether to create such an army merely **days** ago."

"Are you saying that this is a ploy?" Windu questioned.

"Yes. All this events must have been manipulated by the Sith, I'm certain of that."

"But what choice do we have now? The Commerce Guilds **will** launch an attack, and we cannot allow that to happen. I'm afraid war will break out no matter what we do."

"Then we might have already lost the war against the Sith."

* * *

The small two-man starfighter shook from the impact of the blast across its starboard engine.

"Shields are holding at seventy-percent!" Obi-Wan announced while Chakotay took them through a series of spins, hoping to lose their pursuers.

"I'll try to lose them in the asteroid field, you get the hyperdrive back online."

"Asteroid field? Are you sure?" Obi-Wan sounded doubtful.

"Don't worry, Tom taught me a couple of tricks."

"That's what I was afraid of." Obi-Wan muttered under his breath before focusing his attention back on getting the hyperdrive repaired. "Arthree," he addressed the astro-droid. "I need that hydro circuit reconnected!"

The droid beeped its reply even as Chakotay piloted them into the asteroid field with at least four enemy fighters hot on their tails. Obi-Wan tried to focus on repairs and not on how close they almost come to crashing into the floating space rocks around them. " **This** is why I hate flying." The Jedi muttered under his breath.

"Which is why **I'm** the one doing the flying." 

"Arthree! Why isn't the circuit reconnected?" The droid let out a series of whistles and beeps in reply. Obi-Wan gave the small translation screen in front of him a quick glance. "I don't care what you have to do! Just get the circuit reconnected so we can get hyperdrive back online!" 

Arthree beeped an affirmative and went back to work. Ten seconds and two spins later, Chakotay let out a series of curses Obi-Wan was sure no one realised the normally stoic Jedi even knew. 

"Weapons just went offline!" 

"What?! Arthree!" But before Obi-Wan could bark out a command, the droid beeped and whistled at him. "Great!" Obi-Wan had to suppress the urge to curse. "Arthree had to take weapons offline and patch the circuit to fix the hyperdrive."

"You just **had** to tell him you didn't care what he had to do, didn't you?"

"I didn't know he was going to take weapons offline!" 

"We'll be toast if you don't get that hyperdrive back on in the next twenty seconds!" 

"Arthree!" Obi-Wan all but yelled. The astro-droid beeped. "Got it! Now get us out of here!"

Chakotay dodged an incoming asteroid, taking them into a nosedive; one of the fighters attempted to follow, only to misjudge the velocity of the asteroid and crash right into it. Having temporarily lost their pursuers, Chakotay cleared the asteroid field and engaged the hyperdrive. 

* * *

"You can't do that!" Chakotay protested. Both him and Obi-Wan had managed to make it back to Coruscant in one piece and were now reporting their findings to the Jedi Council. "Dorvan will be caught right in the middle of it, the planet will be devastated!" 

"We understand that, Chakotay. But there is no choice. If we don't strike first and bring down this droid army, who knows how many more innocent lives are going to be lost." Mace Windu replied.

"And the lives on Dorvan? They don't count?"

"Orders have already been given, the clone army has already been deployed. I'm afraid there is nothing we can do at this point." 

"I find it hard to believe that the Republic Senate would come to an agreement on this."

"They didn't have to," Master Gallia responded. "Emergency powers have been given to Chancellor Palpatine to deploy the army."

"And I assume the Council also talked the Chancellor into accepting the power?"

"It's for the good of the Republic, Chakotay, and you know it. Your emotions have clouded your judgment on this issue. Rein them in and you will see that this is the correct course of action. This Council meeting is now concluded." Windu dismissed, but Chakotay was already on his way out before the Jedi Master was finished.

"Chakotay!" The voice of Chancellor Palpatine stopped the Jedi in his tracks just before he reached the lifts. 

"Chancellor," Chakotay greeted, trying not to let his disappointment in the Jedi Council show. 

"I'm sorry. With the Separatist moving in, I had no choice." Palpatine was remorseful as he faced Chakotay. 

"I don't blame you, Chancellor." 

"If there was anything else I could've done, I would have."

"I understand that. And thank you." 

* * *

"You're giving me a headache." Tom moaned, eyes closed and hands rubbing his temple. 

"What?" Chakotay stopped his pacing long enough to turn around to look at his lover. 

"I'm trying to shut you out, but with you this close, it's impossible. All that ranting in your mind is giving me a headache the size of Tatooine." Tom elaborated. 

"Sorry." 

"Don't be, just try not to be so loud, even in your own head. And Chak? All that anger? Not good."

Chakotay let out a sigh and stopped his pacing. "I know, but I just can't help it! It's my home planet they're talking about, and they're acting like it's nothing. Those are people I know! My childhood friends, my **family** . Dorvan is a peaceful world, they won't be able to handle the conflict. The entire planet will be devastated!"

"I know Master Yoda says there's no 'try', but do try to control your emotions, don't give in to that anger, I don't want you going down the wrong path, you get that? And Dorvan might be a lot more resilient than you thought, ever think of that?"

"I'm trying." The elder Jedi finally sat down on the only chair in the room. "This is all your fault you know." Chakotay teased with a smile. 

"My fault?"

"I used to be better at controlling my emotions and sense of attachment. **A lot** better as a matter of fact." 

"Oh, really?" Tom raised his eyebrows in question. "And little old me managed to crack that ice price facade of yours? I must be good." A small smirk slowly made its way onto Tom's face. 

"You are. The best thing in my life." 

Tom was completely unprepared for the sudden tenderness from his usually reserved lover. He made his way over to Chakotay and did the only thing that came to mind; he kissed Chakotay. 

**Chapter 12**

\----------------

Present: Year 1

\----------------

_An endless field of bodies, all Jedi._

_Lifeless eyes, staring up at him; accusing._

_Palpatine, standing on a hill, overlooking the field, Cofoan by his side, emotionless as the Emperor laughed._

_Shadow figure appearing from behind, blue lightsaber striking down Palpatine, joining Cofoan, staring at the field of dead Jedi._

_Ghostly whispers surrounding him: liar... traitor... murderer._

_The scene changed, he couldn't see anything; there was nothing but darkness around, but he didn't need to see them to recognise their voices. Chakotay, Lizia, and Jon. They were his family._

_"You can't do this!"_

_"He will never let you get away with it!"_

_"You don't know him like I do."_

_Screams, followed by a sudden silence and nothingness that was horrifying beyond imagination._

"Lizia!" 

Tom woke up screaming. 

* * *

Lizia screamed as another bolt of Force lightning passed through her convulsing body. 

"I really hate to see you like this, just tell me where he is and I promise you all this will end."

"I. Don't. Know." Lizia bit out defiantly. 

A gloved hand yanked on her hair and pulled her head up from the floor where she lay. She stared rebelliously into brown eyes that had been friendly a lifetime ago. 

"I used to find your stubbornness and your spirit charming, now I merely find it irritating." 

Her entire body was in pain, she was bleeding from various wounds, but Lizia smirked. "Am I cramping your style, oh Great Sith Lord?" 

Lizia thought she must have passed out from the force of her head impacting against the floor, but she couldn't be sure. 

"One last time, Liz, where is he?" 

Jon was already dead, killed by Cofoan in his efforts to make her disclose Tom's location. Han was missing in the chaos of the battle, most probably already dead. She had nothing to lose. Seeing the face in front of her again, she summoned all the energy she could muster and spat into his eyes. "Go to hell."

"So be it. Either way, he **will** come to me."

Lizia Jeanette Paris-Solo's last thoughts were of her missing son and consolation that she had not betrayed her brother. 

* * *

"Tom, snap out of it, please." 

  
To Tom, the words sounded as though being spoken under water and he barely registered them, drowning in a sea of pain and grief. He recognised Harry's voice, but the words were meaningless. Vainly, he reached out searching for Lizia's presence, but the fiery sprit of his sister was nowhere to be found, extinguished even as it burned its brightest. 

"Pain. So much pain he is in." Another voice joined Harry - Master Yoda. "Gone through so much already he has, unfortunate that he is facing more. Too attached he is, feel too much he does. Leave us, Harry."

A familiar touch on his hand and he felt Master Yoda reaching out to him through the Force. Tom knew what Yoda wanted to do, he did not want to leave, he needed to find Lizia, he **had** to find Lizia. 

_Thomas, control your emotions you must. Vulnerable to the Dark Side you will be in this state._

_I have to find her, Master, I have to._

Because it was impossible that she was gone, if he couldn't find her, he would just have to join her. __

_Let go you must. Part of the Force she is now._

An unknown amount of time passed in silence before Tom finally managed a strangled "Lizia." Blue eyes blinked, slowly coming to focus on the Jedi Master. "She's really gone, is she?" Tom's voice was quiet. 

"I am sorry, Thomas. But give in to this grieve you must not. Close it is you are to the path leading to the Dark Side. Clearer it is to you than most the consequence of this." 

"I will **never** join the Dark Side," Tom shook his head vehemently. It was the Dark Side that took Chakotay and now, Lizia from him. 

"Not with intention, no. But seductive and secretive in many ways the Dark Side is." 

"Master – " 

"Seen it I have, Thomas."

"That's impossible." 

"One possibility it is. One that will come true if you do not control your feelings. Exploit them the Dark Side will." Tom was still shaking his head in denial. "Seen it, have you not? The end of the Jedi." 

"That doesn't mean I'll have a hand in it! Palpatine, and Cofoan – "

"Yes, started it they have, but finish it you will. Stop you your mind has from seeing this vision whole. It was you who wield the lightsaber with the power of the Dark Side, striking Palpatine down."

"No," Tom denied. _Blue lightsaber striking down Palpatine._ "It was just a shadow, only a shadow." But even as he uttered the words, Tom recognised the truth in Yoda's words. 

"There is more Thomas, that you have not seen. Rule you will this universe with fear. Join him you will, if down this path of darkness you allow yourself to travel." 

_Figure cloud in darkness standing beside Cofoan._ Tom would not allow it. "I won't allow it, Master, I won't." 

Yoda shook his head. "Concern I am that a choice in this you might not have."

"There's always a choice, Master. Always. I will die before I allow this to happen." 

It looked as though Master Yoda was about to reply only to be distracted by something. 

"Master?"

"Rash is his action," the Jedi Master sounded frustrated. "Fear for young Harry's safety I do."

"Harry? What did he do?" Tom's concern for Harry snapping him out of his grief for his sister's death. 

"After Cofoan he has gone. Rash, too rash his actions were." Yoda shook his head in sadness even as Tom stood up in alarm. 

"We have to stop him!"

"Too late. Catch up with him you will not before he reaches Cofoan."

Clipping on his lightsaber to his utility belt, Tom headed towards the exit. "I lost my sister today, I'm not going to lose my best friend too."

* * *

It took Tom more than twenty minutes to recover the file Harry deleted. His friend had been careless in his haste. Harry was better at computers than Tom was, the younger Jedi could have made sure the file was not recoverable if he had the time. But despite knowing his destination, Tom knew it was impossible to intercept Harry; he'd already gotten a good head start. All Tom hoped to accomplish was to arrive in time to stop Harry from doing something stupid, like confronting Cofoan. It would be suicide.

"It's a trap, Harry," Tom muttered to himself. "Why can't you see it?" It was impossible for Cofoan to have been careless enough to leak the information about his reclusion. 

"Damn it!" Tom cursed the moment he stepped into the hanger bay to find his starfighter, _The Flyer,_ missing. "You have to take my ship too, don't you, buddy? Which just happens to be the fastest ship on this side of the known galaxy." 

Scanning the rest of the hanger for a suitable ship, Tom's eyes came to rest upon a small one-man craft. Corellian design, not as fast as his own modified fighter, but faster than any other ships they had. "This will have to do." 

"Master Jedi, this ship belongs to Madam Kira," a maintenance droid helpfully informed him. 

"Well then, you can tell her that it's an emergency and I'm borrowing it." 

"But – "

"Hey, you didn't stop Harry from taking my ship, you're not stopping me from taking this ship, got it?" Ignoring the droid, Tom powered up the ship, taking off before anyone else could stop him. 

_Be careful, my Padawan, and may the Force be with you._

_I will, Master._

* * *

Caldik Prime; an out of the way planet that was sparsely populated and of no value to either side of the struggle for galactic dominance. It was also the planet Tom and Chakotay had been sent on their first mission together, the place where they had made love the first time. Tom would have laughed at Cofoan's choice if the events of the day had been different. 

Tracking down Harry and Cofoan had been easy; Chakotay had always been fond of the ancient pyramid temple ruins they had found on the planet. 

Hearing the hum and crackle of dueling lightsabers coming from what had been the main hall of the still partially standing building, Tom rushed in, taking the steps two at a time. The scene in front of him stop Tom cold in his tracks, Harry's lightsaber had been knocked out of his hands by Cofoan, Tom could clearly see various injuries on his friend who was scrambling for his weapon even as Cofoan moved in for the final blow, spurring Tom into action. 

"Chakotay, no!" 

**Chapter 13**

\----------------

Past: 2 Years

\----------------

"Chancellor, fellow Senators," Ambassador Neelix from Dorvan pleaded to the Republic Senate. "You cannot stand by and watch as Dorvan falls into enemy hands! The freedom and lives of my homeworld is at stake! The war has already taken a heavy toll on our system, if you sign this treaty with the Separatist, you'll be condemning millions of people on Dorvan!" 

"Which is why we are more than prepared to help you evacuate the planet!" An unknown voice from the mass yelled, gaining the support of the majority of the senate as the entire chamber broke out in cheers. 

"That is **not** the solution! My people have lived on Dorvan for hundreds of generations, they have made a life there and for the last two years. They have fought and died for their homeworld and you cannot expect them to pack everything up and leave!" Neelix argued. 

"Well, if they don't want to leave, that's their problem, not ours." Another faceless voice shouted. 

"Senators!" Despite the chaos, the voice of Padme Amidala rang clear. Her pod floated down to settle next to Neelix. "Where are your hearts? There are millions of people on Dorvan who will be displaced if this vote is to go through, their lives uprooted. And if they refuse to leave, they will no doubt be subjugated to inhumane conditions under the Separatist's rule."

"This is politics, girl, not charity!" 

"Fine. Dorvan is the first border planet to go, what's then stopping them from ceding other planets when the time comes? Senator Yasnick, Nindoru isn't that far away from Dorvan, is your government prepared to evacuate the entire population the next time the Republic decides to sign a treaty?" Silence greeted Amidala's question. "Don't you see it Senators, if Dorvan goes, other systems will soon follow in its footstep! We cannot allow this to happen! There **has** to be another solution!"

"Listen to reason, Senators!" Neelix added his plea. 

The Senate arena was once again flooded by the voices of the hundreds of Senators speaking all at once. 

"Order! There will be order!" Chancellor Palpatine's aid demanded. 

"Senators," Palpatine began. "If no one else has anything to add to this issue, voting will proceed. Those who vote yea?" 

Green lights began lighting up on pods all over the arena. It wasn't long before it was clear a majority vote had been achieved to go through with the treaty. 

"Those who vote nay?" 

The rest of the pods, including Neelix's and Amidala's pods flashed their red lights. 

"A majority vote has been reached. The Republic will proceed with the singing of the treaty, ceding Dorvan to the Separatist." Palpatine announced, sounding regretful. "Senators, I thank you for your time and careful consideration on this issue. The Senate now stands adjourned." 

* * *

"Chakotay, this is madness! I don't care how good you think you are, you can't stop an entire army by yourself!" Tom called out to his lover, who wason his way out of his quarters. 

"The Republic can't send troops without it being taken as a sign of war, and the Council refuses to help." Chakotay turned and walked back towards Tom, fists clenched by his sides. "And what do you expect me to do? Sit around and wait for them to **murder** my family?" 

"Right, and you storming right in will help a great deal," Tom snapped. "You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment, you're losing control and you know it. Even a five year old apprentice would know that's the path towards the Dark Side." 

"Considering what the Council has done, maybe that's not such a bad idea!" It was with great control that Tom did not flinch from Chakotay's outburst. Tom could feel it, the older Jedi was so close to the edge; one false step would send him down the path of darkness. Tom knew even he wouldn't be able to stop it if it happened. 

"Chakotay – "

"Are you with me or not?" 

It was an ultimatum and Tom knew it, not liking it one bit. 

"Fine, lead the way and get us all killed." Tom snapped, following Chakotay out of the door.

"You don't have to come if that's the way you feel." 

Tom let out a snort, biting back the curt remark at the tip of his tongue. It would serve no purpose other than getting them into an argument. 

Both men were surprised when they were greeted by none other than Chancellor Palpatine himself when they arrived at the hanger bay. The Supreme Chancellor of the Republic was surrounded by an entourage of a dozen men. Tom kept up a pleasant facade as he greeted the politician, his instincts having told him long ago that Palpatine was not to be trusted. Chakotay, however, greeted the elder man with a genuine smile. 

"Chancellor."

"Master Chakotay," Palpatine nodded his greeting. "I'm sorry that the circumstances couldn't be better. I hope that you understand the difficult position I am in regarding Dorvan."

"I understand. If the Republic were to send any troops, the Separatist will take it as a sign of war." 

"Which is why there is nothing much I can do to help you, at least on an official basis. Unofficially however..." the Chancellor paused. 

"Chancellor?" Chakotay asked. 

"Master Chakotay, these are ten of my best trained commanders." Palpatine gestured towards the men. "Each of them leads a team of five specially trained elite force. I know it isn't much, but – "

"Chancellor, this is more than what I hoped for."

"It's the least I could do."

A sense of unease flooded Tom at the Chancellor's words, despite Palpatine's obvious sincerity. Yet when Tom reached out with the Force, he could detect no deception from the politician, which was even more unsettling. 

"I'll leave these men and their teams in your capable hands, Master Chakotay." Palpatine nodded and prepared to leave with his two bodyguards.

"Thank you, Chancellor."

"May the Force be with you, Master Chakotay."

Tom watched the politician leave, the unease he was feeling still strong. What did Palpatine have to gain from this? If the Separatist ever found out about this little army, the treaty they signed would be forgotten in a second. What good would sixty men, no matter how highly trained they were, be when faced with the army of thousands that they would no doubt encounter on Dorvan. 

"Tom?" 

The blonde pilot turned back to face his lover. "Coming," he replied, casting a last suspicious glace at the departing figure of the black clad politician. What was the Chancellor up to? 

* * *

The population of Dorvan had not given up their home like the Republic had given up on them. The majority of the planet had risen against the droid armies of the Separatist, and while the rest of the Republic were more or less at peace thanks to the treaty, Dorvan was in the midst of a full blown planetary war. 

"With all due respect, Master Jedi, how long do you expect us to hold this position?" Commander Marlina, one of the commanders who had come with them from Coruscant. "It's been three months and the droid army is showing no sign of letting up."

"We hold it as long as it takes." Chakotay stopped trying to repair the communications unit and stood up, facing Marlina. "These are my people, and this is my home. I am not about to give up a key position just because you're frustrated, Commander." Chakotay hissed. 

"Look, Master Chakotay, I understand your position. I would do the same thing if I were in your position, but this is getting us nowhere. My men are growing weary, your people are tired and dying. The droids will just keep on coming until they wear us down. We need to start going on the offensive and take out their base camp, then we might have a chance of convincing them that Dorvan is too much trouble to be worth it."

Chakotay's brow frowned in thought. "You have a plan."

"Yes, I do." Merlina nodded. 

"Let's hear it."

"The main problem we have with the droid's base camp is that we haven't been able to penetrate their shields. I believe that a small strike team would be able to make it onto the compound without being detected. We can then sabotage as many systems as possible and take down the shield generator from within." Marlina took a breath before continuing. "Once the shield is down, we'll have more than enough man power to destroy the base."

"And who will be on this strike team?"

"It will be a definite advantage if Master Paris would be able to accompany the team. The rest of the team will consist of Benson, Vorik, and myself."

Chakotay nodded, his mind already working. "Come back to me with the details of the plan in an hour, and we'll see if it's workable."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

There were too many variables, too many uncertainties, and not enough information, but Tom's protests had fallen on deaf ears. The entire plan was hinged on Merlina's team being able to take down the shield generators. In the end, it was Tom alone who managed to take down the generators, but not before heavy casualties had been sustained by their side. 

Tom was fighting his way out of the compound, trying to meet up with the reinforcement when he stumbled, temporarily overwhelmed by Chakotay's emotions flooding his senses. Staggering from the intensity of guilt and lost, Tom was barely able to deflect a blasted shot aimed at him. _So this was what Master Yoda meant by the link being dangerous._ Throwing a mental shield in place with as much force as he could muster, Tom tried to block what Chakotay was unconsciously projecting to him; he needed to focus if he was going to get out of this alive. 

Cutting through the two droids in front of him, Tom sent the lifeless pieces of metal back towards the squad of battle droids pursuing him. It knocked a few of them off balance, making them stumble onto each other. With the droids momentarily confused, Tom ran for his life, his instinct driving him towards Chakotay. 

**Chapter 14**

\----------------

Past: 2 Years

\----------------

By the time Tom arrived at the battle site, barely a dozen people, out of the 150 who had volunteered for the assault, remained standing. Even in the midst of the chaos, Tom had no trouble picking out Chakotay, shielded from any direct blast from the droid army by some bounders that was scattered across the landscape. Cradled in Chakotay's arms was the easily recognisable form of his father, Kolopak. 

  
Sensing Tom's approach even from the distance, Chakotay looked up at Tom, his grief and anger tangible. 

_Please, don't give in to it!_ Tom pleaded, knowing it was of no use. He stood, just out of the battle zone, helpless as he watched Chakotay carefully laid his father's body back down to the ground and stood up, expressionless. 

Several blaster shots were immediately aimed at Chakotay, but the Jedi blocked them effortlessly even as he started to march into the battlefield with a frighteningly cold determination.

The grief was muted now, replaced by terrifying sense of fury that Tom never knew his lover was even capable of. 

They were outnumbered at least 4 to 1. Pushing his worry for Chakotay to the back of his mind and at the same time increasing the strength of his mental shield to block out Chakotay's emotions, Tom charged into the foray. He could talk to Chakotay later, if they survived. 

* * *

With his focus completely on treating the wounded among them, Tom did not notice Chakotay was not with them until they had completely retreated. The other Jedi was still alive; Tom could still sense Chakotay's fury despite the mental shield. He however had no idea where Chakotay was or what he was doing. Tom dared not reach out, not when there was a possibility that he might be overcome by Chakotay's emotions, especially when there were people around who are relying on him to stay focused. 

It was hours before he had done all he could with his limited medical skills. He could see the people around him losing hope of ever winning the war against the Separatist who had taken over their planet. Without any outside aid, Tom could see no way for Dorvan to win with the limited resources they had. 

Tom had once been naive enough to think that the Republic would do the right thing, especially when it came to matters of great importance, such as the fate of an entire system. However, as the years passed, he began to realise Obi-Wan had been right in not trusting politicians. Still, he could not help but wonder why no one, not even the Jedi Council, had suspected that the events that had taken place in the last few years had been carefully orchestrated. 

Letting out an exhausted sigh, Tom retreated to his cramped quarters. Time to try to talk some sense into Chakotay, despite the increasing feeling of unease since witnessing him losing control on the battlefield. 

* * *

Chakotay could feel Tom reaching out to him, trying to calm him down. He didn't want to be calmed down. 

When Tom's prodding became too insistent, he muted the link between them, effectively cutting the connection between them. He could still feel Tom's presence at the back of his mind since there was no way to completely severe their connection, but that was the extent of it. 

Chakotay had only one purpose: they had killed his father, and they would pay. 

It was as simple as that. 

* * *

He was summoned back to Coruscant by the Council a week after Chakotay's disappearance. 

"Disappeared, you say. Most troubling news this is. Most troubling."

"I've been trying to reach him, Master Yoda, but he has dampened the link between us so much that the only thing I can tell is that he is still alive." 

Yoda shook his head. "Contact you he will when he is ready. No sooner, no later." 

"Something is very wrong, Master. I can feel it."

Yoda closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. "The grief in him is strong. So is his desire for vengeance. Lost the way of the Jedi he has. Vulnerable he is to the Dark Side, if gone down the path he hasn't already."

Tom's heart skipped a beat when he heard the last part of Master Yoda's words. He clamped down on the rising fear in his heart. 

"I have to find him, Master. I have to find him and bring him back."

"Go then. Too late I hope it is not."

* * *

He had felt Tom's presence getting closer a few times, his younger lover's instincts flawless, but Chakotay was not ready to be found. There was so much more for him to learn. Chakotay had not been surprised when he was approached by Senator Palpatine, nor had he been surprised when it was revealed that Palpatine was a Sith Lord. He knew that alone, it was impossible for him to accomplish his goal, but with Palpatine's help, the power the Dark Jedi offered...

Chakotay was not naive enough to believe that Palpatine was helping him out of the goodness of his heart; he just didn't care, as long as he could avenge his father's death. The Separatist might have been the ones who dealt the final blow, but the Republic, even the Jedi Order he had once held so dear, all had a hand in it, even Palpatine himself could not escape blame. 

Tom, his Thomas was the only one who was innocent, as far as Chakotay was concerned. Tom had told him the plan was too risky, that they did not have enough information. If Chakotay had listened, his father would still be alive. 

No, he was not ready to face Tom yet. But when he's ready, Tom would join him. 

There was no doubt in his mind. 

* * *

It had been six months since Chakotay's disappearance, and despite his every effort, Tom had not been able to find him, and now there was news that a new Sith Lord had arisen. The feeling of dread that had been Tom's constant companion since Chakotay went missing now grew in its intensity. 

"Master L'akee was no match for him, if it weren't for Master Kenobi's arrival along with the others, both of us would be dead by now." The Padawan explained. 

"Who was he?" Obi-Wan looked troubled. "I didn't manage to get a good look before he disappeared, but I could've sworn it was Chakotay."

"He called himself Darth Kayov Cofoan, I've only seen Master Chakotay once very briefly, but it did look like him. It couldn't be, could it?" The young apprentice asked.

"It's him." Tom had to force the words out. Despite what he knew, Tom had hoped it wasn't true, that what he had felt from Chakotay had been an illusion, a trick his mind had conjured up to explain everything that had happened, but his greatest fear has now been confirmed. "It's Chakotay."

**Chapter 15**

\----------------

Present: Year 1

\----------------

The Sith Lord halted his movement at the sound of Tom's yell. Harry seized the opportunity and summoned his lightsaber back to him, panting as he watched Tom and Cofoan – Chakotay – face each other for the first time in three years. 

"Tom." No longer confined by the rules of the Jedi Order, there was no mistaking the open longing in Chakotay's voice. "I knew you would come to me."

Tom remained silent, eyes taking in the dark figure before him; some parts as familiar to him as his own hands, while others completely alien. His lover, his soul.... his sister's murderer. 

The emotions tore through him, and Tom almost staggered at the weight of what he was feeling. Anger, love, and most overwhelmingly, guilt. Guilty over the fact that he could still love the man, the... **monster** before him, the man who tortured and killed not just his sister, but the destroyer of the entire Jedi order as well. 

"Tom?" Doubt in the Dark Jedi's voice, even as he took a step towards Tom, brows frowned in worry or confusion, Tom couldn't tell. 

Tom couldn't recall precisely what happened next, his attention focused completely on Chakotay. The familiar hum of an active lightsaber, flash of green and purple; Tom reacted without thinking. Things were moving so fast that everything appeared in a blur even to Tom's Jedi senses, when his mind finally cleared enough for him to register what had happened, it was too late. 

Harry was looking at him in disbelief, Tom's own lightsaber crackling against his, inches from Chakotay, while the Dark Jedi's purple blade was embedded in Harry's abdomen. 

Chakotay withdrew his lightsaber even as Harry collapsed, weapon falling from his hand, hitting the floor with a heavy 'clang'. 

"No," Tom moaned, kneeling beside the prone form of his best friend as Chakotay silently stood aside, watching. "Harry...."

"You know, I had a feeling that something like this was going to happen," Harry managed weakly. "I knew you still love him. I've always known." The young Jedi started to cough, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. "I'm sorry I couldn't do this for you, destroy him before he destroyed you."

"No, Harry. You have nothing to be sorry for, just stay with me, please." But even as Tom pleaded, he could sense Harry was already fading from the world. 

"Promise me," Harry's hand clutched Tom's. "Promise me you...." The younger Jedi never finished his request, his hand going limp against Tom's. 

"No." He shouldn't have blocked Harry's strike. It was his fault that Harry was dead. His fault that the majority of the Jedi and his sister were gone. The visions and the dreams he'd been having were all true, and they had been right all along, he was a traitor; a murderer.

Left hand still clutching Harry's lifeless hand, Harry's lightsaber glided obediently into his outstretched right hand. 

For the first time since Chakotay turned to the Dark Side, Tom let the link between them flare back to life.

Love.

Guilt.

Regret.

Looking straight at the Dark Jedi as he activated the weapon, the last thing Tom heard before embracing the darkness was Chakotay screaming his name. 

**Epilogue**

\----------------

Present: Year 17

\----------------

No one dared disturb the slender figure in dark hooded robes standing on the bridge of the most powerful weapon platform in the galaxy, observing the stars through its massive view port. However, Chakotay wasn't just anyone, and he had no qualms about joining the other man.

"What are we looking at?" Chakotay's tone was almost playful.

Ice-blue eyes shrouded in shadows turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. Chakotay could almost make out the slight upturn of lips. To think that he had almost lost this – lost Tom – fifteen years ago...

For six months after Harry Kim's death, Tom had been in a coma. Even as he concealed the truth about Tom from Palpatine, Chakotay still had the best medical facilities at his disposal; Tom's physical wounds, though serious, were healed in a matter of days, yet he did not waken. Chakotay had tried probing Tom's mind using the link between them, but every attempt had been met by a mental shield so strong it felt as though he had been physically slammed against a real wall. Until this day, Chakotay had no idea what went through Tom's mind in those six months, or what had prompted his awakening.

"Our Empire," came the soft-spoken reply. 

Master Yoda was right. Together, they were unstoppable, even for someone as cunning and powerful as Palpatine. World after world, system after system fell under their control, until finally, the entire galaxy. 

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Chakotay replied, looking at the brightest star in his empire, standing right beside him.

THE END


End file.
